Negroni Variations – Bananaroni

I held back with Negroni variations a bit, because I easily could only mix those. Maybe with the occasional Manhattan version thrown in. Despite, the name which still is kind of the working title, the drink does not taste half as crazy as it sounds.

First, I just had the idea of using banana eau de vie in a Negroni. However, when I tried Adam’s ‘Black Moon Rising’ cocktail, I thought that it needed a bit more than just four ingredients. So, I added something here and there.

Complementing flavours

I still wanted to use gin as the base spirit in this and I went with the honey-forward Barr Hill Gin. On top of that, I added Averna to give the Italian red bitter a bit more depth. Last but not least, I used cacao / chocolate bitters as well as a few sprays of Islay Single Malt Scotch to complement those banana flavours.

**Mix 50 % Mancino Vermouth Rosso, 40 % Yzaguierre Reserve and 10 % Mancino Chinato.

The Bananaroni – I know stupid name, but Banana Clipper was already taken -starts with classic Negroni vibes from the signature combination of gin, bitter and vermouth. Yet, the banana flavour lingers on somewhere in the back. The slight salinity also because noticeable and is supported by the smokiness and the chocolate notes. The Averna blends in perfectly with the rest of the ingredients. This cocktail goes down way too easy and you really have to be careful. This definitely is not the last time I mixed one of those.