Negroni Week 21 – Sun Hands
Better late than never, I finally got around to mix up a drink for Negroni Week 2021. I already had a basic concept in mind, but the final result was heavily influenced by Nanda’s Strawberry Balsamic Negroni. Furthermore, this gave me the chance to try out the wild strawberry Campari infusion I made a few weeks back. Add balsamico fig jelly to the mix and you have quite a different drink from your regular Negroni, but quite the delicious one.
Brandy, balsamic vinegar an figs
Nanda from Slow Mixology over at Instagram, made a Negroni with strawberry infused Campari and a few drops of balsamic vinegar. This gave me the idea to combine my wild strawberry infused bitter liqueur with French brandy, Austrian vermouth. Instead of just balsamic vinegar, I used a balsamic vinegar / fig jelly we had standing around. Just a word of caution, when using vinegar based ingredients in cocktails, you have to be very careful not to overpower the drink. Just one barspoon of the jelly is enough for one drink.
3 cl Wild Strawberry Infused Campari*
3 cl Gölles Rosso Wermut
Stir – strain – chilled Old-Fashioned glass over ice cubes;
Garnish: Dried Campari-glazed Orange Wheel;
Song: Local Natives – Sun Hands;
*Add (more than) five wild strawberries for every ounce of Campari – rest for five days – strain and bottle in clean bottle;
Interesting Negroni variety
The “Sun Hands” starts with the bitterness of the Campari which is quickly accompanied by brandy notes. The rosemary and thyme flavours of the vermouth nicely add herbal flavours. Until now, the drink reminds you more of a smooth Boulevardier. However, then the balsamic vinegar kicks in and adds more contrast as well as a nice acidity. Finally, the strawberry notes linger on in the back. – I have to admit they could be stronger, but I only had five ripe wild strawberries for 1 oz of Campari. All in all, I guess I would not sip this drink every time I had the craving for a Negroni, but it is a nice distraction from the beaten path.
