Searching for an easy way to reinvent your summer? Look no further than your cocktail glass. In a world of endless riff culture, we’ve found a twist on the classic Negroni that’s worth the buzz. Beautifully bright, curiously clear, and perfectly balanced between bitter and sweet, Luxardo’s Bianco Negroni is built for summertime.
You may recognize the Luxardo family name. Debuting in 1821, Luxardo cemented its place in cocktail history right out of the gate with their Luxardo Rosolio Maraschino cherry liqueur and, shortly after, their iconic candied Maraschino Cherries, and the brand hasn’t stopped innovating since. With over 200 years of history under its belt, the company has been around longer than most classic cocktails, including the Negroni — so we say, who better to trust when it comes to putting a summertime twist on one of our favorite cocktails? After all, the Negroni is an inventive take on another cocktail: the Americano.
The History of the Negroni Riff
The Negroni’s lineage dates back to 1860 with an Italian drink called the Milano-Torino. Named after the cities where this two-ingredient cocktail originated, the Milano-Torino is made from half Italian sweet vermouth and half bitters. A lower-ABV take on this simple cocktail soon appeared with the addition of soda water. It was nicknamed the Americano because of its popularity with American tourists. From here, it didn’t take long for a riff on the Americano to arrive, swapping out the soda water for a more boozy take with gin, creating the beloved Negroni.
The Bianco Negroni builds on this concept of innovation, putting a refreshing twist on the traditional Negroni. Despite the direct translation to English, the Bianco Negroni should not be confused with the White Negroni, a yellow-hued cocktail created for a 2021 cocktail competition. Unlike the White Negroni, which uses French ingredients, the Bianco Negroni mirrors the classic Negroni recipe, swapping out the cocktail’s signature Italian red vermouth with an intriguingly clear counterpart. The result is a light, bright, slightly bitter, slightly sweet crystal-clear cocktail perfect for summertime sipping.
How a Rediscovery Launched the Bianco Negroni
What truly makes the Bianco Negroni shine — and gives it its distinguishing clarity — is the inclusion of Luxardo Bitter Bianco, a bitter Italian apéritif invented around the same time as the classic Negroni. While the classic Negroni’s exact origin story is more legend than law, the history of the Bianco Negroni’s key ingredient, Bianco Bitters, can be traced back over 100 years to a Luxardo family recipe book. When repeated bombings during World War II destroyed the original Luxardo Distillery in Zara, Italy, this early collection of family recipes was thought to be lost forever. No existing bottles or samples were ever found in the rubble. Miraculously, over 60 years later, the family recipe book was rediscovered, prompting Luxardo to begin distilling Bitter Bianco again. A few years later, in 2016, the Bianco Negroni was introduced into the world.
One of the reasons Luxardo Bitter Bianco works so well is because it contains the same aromatics and botanicals as Luxardo Bitter Rosso, though they are treated slightly differently in the production process. Prior to blending, the infusions used in Bitter Bianco undergo a distillation process. This extra step slightly alters the flavor profile and is what gives the liqueur its remarkable clear color. As a finishing touch, Luxardo infuses the bitters with Roman Absinthe, a type of wormwood, before bottling, creating a one-of-a-kind bitter liqueur with herbal, floral, and citrus notes and a hint of sweetness that works perfectly in summertime cocktails like the Bianco Negroni.
How to Make a Bianco Negroni
While the ingredients may have changed, the Bianco Negroni stays true to the original Negroni’s easy-breezy equal-parts build. All you need to usher in this summer’s Bianco Negroni era is a bar stocked with bianco vermouth, Luxardo Bitter Bianco, and Luxardo London Dry Gin, some ice, and a sunny spot to sip.
Pour equal parts vermouth, Bitter Bianco, and gin into a mixing glass with ice, gently stir, and strain over into a cocktail glass with one ice cube. Finish the drink with a fresh twist of grapefruit or lemon, and serve. This no-sweat recipe will come in clutch whether you’re mixing up single servings or whipping up a quick batch of cocktail pitchers for your next backyard summer soirée.
Luxardo Bianco Negroni Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ounce Luxardo Bitter Bianco
- 1 ounce Luxardo London Dry Gin
- 1 ounce Bianco vermouth
- Garnish: grapefruit twist
Directions
- Fill a beaker with ice. Add all ingredients except garnish to beaker and lightly stir.
- Strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass and garnish with a grapefruit twist.
This article is sponsored by Luxardo USA.
