Montenegroni — A Negroni with Amaro Montenegro in the lead and the proportions inverted

Montenegroni

A Negroni with Amaro Montenegro in the lead and the proportions inverted

Number of people

Ingredients

  • 2 dashesAngostura Aromatic Bitters
    Added over the ice
    Substitute: Orange bitters
  • 2 ozAmaro Montenegro
    The lead ingredient, not the modifier
    Substitute: A gentler amaro; a fernet will break the drink
  • 1 ozSweet Vermouth
    A rich Italian style
  • 1 ozGin
    In support, not in front

Instructions

  1. Pour 2 oz Amaro Montenegro, 1 oz sweet vermouth and 1 oz gin into a rocks glass
  2. Fill with ice, add 2 dashes Angostura and stir in the glass until cold
  3. Express an orange twist over the surface and drop it in

Technique Notes

Build it in the glass over ice rather than stirring it down separately. At two parts amaro this is already a softer drink than a Negroni, and straining it onto fresh ice sharpens it more than the recipe wants.

Why the Montenegroni Works

Inverting a Negroni only works with an amaro soft enough to lead, and Montenegro's orange and vanilla are exactly that. Gin drops to a supporting part, the vermouth bridges the two, and what you get is a Negroni-shaped drink somebody who dislikes Negronis will actually finish.