Aperitivo: White Negroni Edition

A lighter version of the classic Italian cocktail

We’re celebrating spring break in South Florida and when the work day is over, we’re having Italian happy hour poolside. My father-in-law has an extensive collection of unique alcohols, so I thought I should be a little more creative.

The Cocchi Americano caught my eye, and I immediately thought of the white Negroni cocktail — we’d been sipping standard Negroni the night before. The first time I had this alternative was six or seven years ago at Motorino in Williamsburg. The Neapolitan pizzeria had it as a cocktail special.

I have to admit I needed to look up the recipe. I came across one that called for Vermouth Bianco, a vermouth that rejects the binary of dry and sweet. The third ingredient was simply gin.

I used the standard Negroni ratio of equal parts, although the recipe I saw wanted to muddy the water with uneven portions. This version though was refreshing with a balance of sweet and bitter, and the perfect segue leading to the Sicilian citrus salad I made for dinner.