Taking a Negroni on a date with Tanqueray
What do you wear on a date with a Negroni?
Thats what the folks at Tanqueray Gin wanted to know? So they challenged me to make a Negroni and allow the flavour to inspire an outfit. Little did they know that I am no stranger to Negronis and have been whipping them out at home ever since my friend Nick passed on the skill and of course I acquired all the essential bar tools and ingredients to make it happen.
If you want to make the drink, you need the right stuff right? So Tanqueray sent me over everything I might need to whip this classic cocktail together in this epic cocktail kit - Well, everything except ice, or maybe they sent ice and it just melted or something.
Fancy uh? You like? Good, i’ll be giving away a kit just like this at the bottom of this post, so keep reading.
Now, this drink dates back to 1919, where (legend has it) Count Camillio Negroni asked his local bartender in Florence, Italy to stiffen his favourite cocktail, the Americano by using gin rather than soda water - look he had probably had a long day, or lady troubles, lets not question why. Either way, the Negroni was born and on this rare occasion we can actually say something silly like “Thank you Mr Negroni”.
The Negroni is one of the simplest drinks to make, equal parts gin, campari and sweet vermouth stirred together with an orange rind result in a bitter sweet love affair that grows more delicious with every sip. My mouth waters when I speak about it which is why that description sounded so cheesy - I mean this is true love we’re talking about.
So I ask again, how do you pay homage to such a drink by dressing appropriately enough to take it on a date. Well, when I think of Florence all I see are well dressed men sitting round the great wall of Pitti during Pitti Uomo - Lightweight fabrics, well cut suits and sock less loafers. Every detail so well thought out that it appears casually thrown together! You gotta love Italian summer style.
After all this Negroni talk though, I think it’s only fair that you learn how to make one, so lets get started with one of the simplest most impressive drinks you will ever taste.
As mentioned above the drink is equal parts Tanqueray gin, Campari and sweet vermouth poured over ice in a large stirring glass or bottom half of a cobbler shaker.
In the meantime, you want to start chilling your old fashioned glass (Pretty much a tumbler) with some ice.
Now, the next step is not necessary, but I love that bitter taste of the orange peel and therefore like to carve a few rinds in before I stir the drink. Stirring your drink, rather than shaking it helps maintain the clarity of the original liquor rather than bruising it, so its a slow gentle stir in order to chill the ingredients.
Now, don’t leave it too long, or you’ll just water down your drink, so drain any excess water out of your glass now, pop the straining lid on to the cobbler shaker and slowly pour that delicious deep red liquid over a glass of ice.
Finally, just before serving slice a piece of orange skin (taking care to stay close to the skin and avoid the bitter white part of the orange), give it a twist over your drink allowing the oils to coat the top of your negroni and simply dropt it in.
Enjoy!
So? How do you win the kit you may ask?
As always I try to keep it simple.
You have 2 ways of entering either via Facebook or Twitter
Lets start with Facebook: Simply go to the competition post on my page and tag who you would like to share your Negroni with - something simple like “Hey (tag friends name here) #TonightWeTanqueray with Negronis if I win”
Okay, twitter: Simply tweet “I’m thirsty for a @tanquerayZa Negroni with @WhatMyBFWore because #TonightWeTanqueray”
Thats it folks, you can enter either way or both ways for a double entry.
Here are the T&C’s
• Competition only open to South African Residents over the age of 18
• Competition opens on the 10/06/15 and closes on 17/06/15
• A winner will be drawn via http://www.random.org and announced by 19/06/15
• Your prize will be delivered to you via courier
Thats it people, good luck!
Okay. Stay fancy.
