Pomegranate Negroni
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 25.4% ABV ∙
The Pomegranate Negroni trades the Negroni's sweet vermouth for an aromatized wine and adds pomegranate juice alongside the red bitter. Pomegranate brightens the classic bitter-herbal backbone with a tart, faintly fruity sweetness, while the gin keeps the whole drink dry and spirit-forward.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: London dry gin 40 mlRed bitter 30 mlAromatized wine 25 mlPomegranate juice 10 mlOrange bitters 2 dashes
- Strain into the ice-filled glass (preferably over a large cube or chunk of block ice)
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Pre-chill the glass before straining so the drink doesn't lose temperature the moment it hits the ice.
- Express the orange twist directly over the surface right before serving so the citrus oils sit on top of the drink.
- Use a large ice cube or block ice in the glass — it chills the stirred pour without diluting it quickly.
History
The Pomegranate Negroni has no independent creation story of its own — it circulates on modern bar and drinks sites simply as a fruit-forward take on the Negroni, sweetened and tinted with pomegranate juice, without a named inventor, bar, or year attached to it.
Its parent, the Negroni, is generally traced to Florence, Italy, in the early 20th century, where it is said to have developed when Count Camillo Negroni asked a bartender to strengthen his Americano by replacing the soda water with gin. The story is disputed among several claimants to the name and the moment of invention, with historians offering competing accounts of exactly who first mixed the drink. The Pomegranate Negroni keeps the Negroni's equal-parts bitter framework but swaps in pomegranate juice for a sweeter, fruitier profile.
FAQ
How do you make a Pomegranate Negroni?
Stir London dry gin, a red bitter such as Campari, an aromatized wine such as Lillet Blanc, pomegranate juice, and a couple dashes of orange bitters with ice, then strain into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass over a large cube. Finish by expressing an orange twist over the top and dropping it in as garnish.
What is in a Pomegranate Negroni?
London dry gin, a red bitter such as Campari, an aromatized wine such as Lillet Blanc, and a small amount of pomegranate juice, with orange bitters optional. It is stirred and served over a large ice cube in an old-fashioned glass, garnished with an orange twist.
What is a dirty Negroni?
A dirty Negroni is a Negroni variation that adds a small amount of olive brine to the classic gin, red bitter, and sweet vermouth build, giving it a savory, salty edge. That is a different variation from the Pomegranate Negroni, which swaps in an aromatized wine and pomegranate juice instead of brine.
