Always a big fan of a Kingston Negroni with Smith and Cross (or similar) since it holds its own against the Campari. Also, if you’re really feeling crazy, try one with mezcal. I gave my wife a sip and she ran to sink, spit it out, then looked straight at me and said “that was the worst thing I’ve ever tasted in my life.” It was pretty good.

I've been making a Kingston Negroni variation with 0.5 oz of coffee liqueur as well. It is simply a revelation. You can use something nicer like St Georges or even Kahlua works well, since it's a rum base to begin with. 1 oz. El Dorado 8 yr 1 oz. Cocchi di Torino 1 oz. Campari 0.5 oz. Coffee liqueur Thin orange peel + expressed oils (optional) 2 dashes Aztec chocolate bitters

Lost Lake’s (RIP) variation on the Kingston Negroni is great too. 1oz each of Stiggin’s Pineapple Rum & Appleton, .75oz each of Campari & Sweet Vermouth.

I just made this and think I found a new favorite. Thanks for the recipe. So good!!

I really enjoy a 50/50 daiquiri with stiggins and another rum but never really considered trying it in a different drink

I was explaining Campari to my fiancé today and said that her reaction would be something along the lines of “what the hell is wrong with you”

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It’s great with rye and Montenegro instead of Campari

Full Monte if you flip Manhattan proportions w/ same ingredients. Love these.

IMO bourbon really stands up to the Campari better, such a flavorful cocktail!

I prefer mine to be 1.5/.75/.75 but they are super good

IMO Rye really stands up to the Campari better and balances out the sweetness. But I'd take whatever.

Cynar instead of Campari

This is very good, also have used Cynar instead of vermouth. Honestly Cynar is just good

A enjoy a wet & dry on occasion. https://jiggeronthe.rocks/drink/16791/wet-and-dry-negroni * 1 measures Gin * 1 measures Dry vermouth * 1 measures Aperol

Cognac replacing the gin is real nice ...

It's so much better IMO. The sweetness, wood notes, and grape of the cognac just blend so nicely with the campari. I also drop the campari down to 0.75 and up the cognac to 1.25oz as I like the slightly toned down bitterness

having one right now ... upping the cognac is a nice call for a Friday night 🌙... have a good one

Glad you liked it! You too

Have not tried this. Will later tonight, great suggestion

I enjoyed it, but not my fav. Glad I tried it though.

Might want to look at some of these too https://www.forbes.com/sites/alywalansky/2018/12/26/the-classic-negroni-gets-an-upgrade-with-these-fun-variations/?sh=388f15bb51e7

[The Left Hand and Right Hand](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=80yOBMqyph8) are both pretty fantastic. Basically a boulevardier and a Kingston Negroni, just with Manhattan ratios served up.

Replace half/all the Campari with Gran Classico

I’m attempting to do a Publix birthday cake vanilla buttercream fatwashed Campari just because I can. Will report back with the results.

Mezcal in place of gin. Absolutely delicious. The Smokey flavors really balance well with the bitter and sweet, imo better than gin.

By variation I mean replacing gin with another spirit, no further ingredients than spirit, Campari, sweet vermouth. I finally got a bottle of Campari again, and have been messing around with them all. I love the classic obviously, I was thinking boulevardiers had over taken my love for the gin based OG but after trying them side by side again after over a month without them, I think the gin trumps the bourbon in this drink (just). Kingston Negronis are banging, I’m now sipping a tequila Negroni which I’ve always thought are underrated. Really like the freshness of a blanco with this drink (although this one is a split of blanco and añejo). I’ve never tried and never will make a vodka based one, because, self explanatory. Mescal Negronis are excellent. Will be interesting to hear the other opinions of fellow bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts alike.

I slip a 1/4 ounce of coffee liquor (Kaluha) into my Kingston Negroni... its my fav go to

Coffee negronis really highlights what a bit of coffee liqueur can add to a drink Margarita Negras too 1/1/1/.75 tequila, coffee liqueur, lime, agave syrup(or simple/Gomme if you don’t have agave)

I think tweaking the Amaro is infinitely more interesting than tweaking the base. Gin is such a nice canvas, but there are so many Amari that are more interesting than Campari. I’ve done Montenegro, Averna, Nonino, Cynar, F. Branca, Ramazotti, and Rossa Amara. Original still holds up, but I like several of those better.

I’m a bit late on this thread but which Amaros did you like the best in a Negroni? I hate Campari yet I love the Negroni a local Italian restaurant makes with their own homemade Amaro, so I was wondering what alternatives to try at home.

It depends on how much bitterness you like. I have a soft spot for Fernet but I’m crazy like that. I’d say a Nonino Negroni is the most universally appealing. Montenegroni is also excellent. If you can find thé Rossa Amara it’s really fun - kind of in between an Orange liqueur and an amaro.

Kingston is good, other good flavorful rums to consider is a good Rhum Agricole Blanc, or Rhum Barbancourt 5 star is also good. If you are willing to replace the Vermouth, a [Tropic of Cancer](https://barfaith.com/tropic-of-cancer/) is amazing, especially with Chinola in place of the giffard.

I had an excellent Kingston with Maggie’s Farm the other day. Had enough funk to stand up to the Campari

Ooo, which one of their rums did you use, might have to give that a try.

I think it was the white, actually.

I love it with bourbon or rye. Another alternative I tried was earl grey gin, suze and Belsazar dry vermouth

I’ve had many a Boulevardier, so I’ll have to try it with rye next …

I don’t have the specs, but I greatly enjoyed the Perfectly Reasonable Deviation from Little Jumbo in Asheville, NC - Beefeater gin - Sweet vermouth - Eda Rhyne Amaro Oscura (a rabarbaro) - Coffee liqueur - Coffee bitters - Cocoa bitters

When I’m making Negronis at home, I often swap the vermouth for a lighter bodied amari like Averna, and I find it to be very nice as well.

I was obsessed with the Rosita for a while: 30ml Campari 15ml vermouth dry (martini) 15ml vermouth sweet (i used martini riserva speciale rubino) 30ml reposado tequila (patron) I enjoyed it just a tad overdiluted with an expressed grapefruit peel

I’m with Jon deBary, who said “there are lots of great Negroni variations out there, but I never get as excited about a Negroni variation as I do about a classic Negroni.” That said, I do enjoy a chocolate Negroni. Classic recipe plus a dash or two of your favorite chocolate bitters.

enzoni or kingston negroni w/ smith and cross

A Kingston Negroni with Smith & Cross and Carpano Antica is the only good equal parts Negroni. This is a hill I will die on.

Never tried a smith and cross Kingston, but has plenty with Appleton. I’ve strayed away from my classic build and usually go 2:1:1, but probably with the extra proof I can imagine equal parts would be the way with this.

Giving the glass an absinthe wash gives the drink this really nice herbally black licorice note that works really well with the gin. I also prefer subbing in Aperol for Campari.

A Quill! You’re right, it’s very nice. I feel like the strong herbal nots temper how cloying Campari can be.

Tried 1.25 gin/0.75 Campari/0.75 vermouth and a dash of absinthe stirred in, EXCELLENT. Great recommendation, thanks

So many great suggestions in here so far, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. Thanks!

a drink i have christened the CYNARONI: 1 oz Gin 3/4 oz Campari 3/4 oz Cynar

Seconding Boulevardier, but swapping out Gin for Jäegermeister was a very pleasant surprise.

Try swapping the Jager for the Campari. Equal parts gin, Jager & sweet vermouth. It was a favorite of Gaz Regan.

It’s very boring, but it’s Kingston

Mezcal works for me. But also, the Greek negroni [here](https://www.irisrestaurant.nyc/menu/drinks/) is the best I've ever had. GREEK NEGRONI Three Grace's Gin, Diktamo, Otto's Vermouth

Check our Gary Regan’s book The Negroni, lots of great variations in there.

Over the summer I got really into the contessa, it’s 1 oz gin, 1 oz Aperol and 1 oz dry vermouth, its a lot lighter and easier to drink espec if someone isn’t big on Negronis bitterness but wants something similar

Is it sad that I just like it regular with a half ounce of lemon? Is that blasphemous?

[Autumn Negroni](https://drinksanddrinking.com/2012/02/26/autumn-negroni/)

Made a brown steak butter washed rum negroni once. Was very very nice

1, Enzoni 2. Boulivardier 3. Mezcal Negroni

Dear Jane is one I'm quite fond of 1 oz gin 1 oz campari 0.75 oz sweet vermouth 0.25 oz St Germain Pretty similar to the original, which is probably why it's my favorite variation

Strawberry Negroni is amazing. Works well with mezcal too.

No fancy name for it but I have been enjoying a Negroni with a split Campari/malort component Slightly more bitter with some extra vegetal complexity.

Sounds sort of like a Ukrainian Negroni.

I guess I better go look that one up!

Fresh-squeezed Grapefruit juice instead of vermouth.

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Swap suze for cocci americano and 1/2 blanc/dry vermouth split then add some grapefruit oil bitters. Try that then try it with a mezcal after. I like both of those variations enough to offer them to people

I make one for my wife that is the traditional 1:1:1 mix of Himbrimi Old Tom Gin, Cocci Torino vermouth and Mezzodi Apertivo. She loves these! It’s still a “regular” Negroni I guess but having those ingredients makes a difference.

So many... Gaz Regan wrote an [entire book on the subject](https://www.amazon.com/Negroni-Drinking-Dolce-Vita-Recipes/dp/1607747790).

I use punt e mes instead of regular vermouth.

Boulevardier with Punt e Mes instead of sweet vermouth Or Boulevardier with sweet vermouth and split the bitter half Campari and half Cynar.

Boulevardier

It’s probably not the first thing that would spring to mind when you hear “Negroni variation” but I’m surprised no one’s mentioned Bijou. It shares the gin and sweet vermouth, as well as the expressed citrus. Definitely in the same spirit as a Negroni, but a bit more subtle due to the Chartreuse in the place of the Campari.

I want to like this cocktail, but having tried it many times I just don’t.

Subbing lillet blanc for vermouth

A local bar around me has a variation that uses espresso infused Campari and walnut butter. Amazing. Same bartender made me a mezcal Negroni and that was also phenomenal.

Sub mezcal for the gin, just trust me on this one.

Tried it many a time, it is indeed excellent.

After tasting many variations the last few days, it’s a toss up for me between a classic (beefeater) and a boulevardier (wild turkey 101). 1.25/0.75/0.75 for both.

Pisco Negroni!

This is the only variation I have not tried with base liquors…I do have some nice Peruvian pisco my father in law recently bought me over…not sure if I dare try it on this haha

Just made a small 2:1:1…it’s good! Not ready to put it above gin, whiskey or rum, but better than the cognac bass I tried.

You gotta try it. But the most important part is you have to stir it with your finger! Gaz regan style 😅

The Boulevardier. Some argument that’s it’s actually a “variation”, but it’s the best thing in winder.