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Negronis for While You Set Up the Tents

By Chris Nuttall-Smith
Two frozen negroni cocktails being served at a picnic.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton

A stone-cold classic around our campsites, this version jacks up the gin quotient to keep the sweetness in check, while the splash of water softens the negroni’s boozy edges, even without the usual ice. Batch these in a vacuum-seal bottle, which you can stick in a backpack or a dry bag and it will stay frozen-ish and slushy for at least 24 hours. Just be sure that if you’re using something double-walled or vacuum-sealed, you leave the top off of the container while freezing to allow all the cold from the freezer to get in.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘Cook It Wild' by Chris Nuttall-Smith. Our team selected this book as one of the best cookbooks of 2023. Buy the full book on Amazon.

Cooks' Note

Negronis will keep for 1 week, after thawing, kept cold, or 1 month, frozen.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 4 cocktails

Ingredients

At home

7 oz. gin
4½ oz. sweet (red) vermouth
2 oz. Campari
5 oz. water (omit if you’ll have ice at camp)

At camp

Prepared Negronis (partially thawed)
1 small orange, sliced (optional)

Preparation

  1. Prepare the Negronis

    Step 1

    In a lightweight, resealable drink container, combine the gin, vermouth, Campari, and water (if using). Freeze for several days before departure.

  2. Serve the Negronis

    Step 2

    If the drink is still frozen, a vigorous shake will usually turn it into slush. Serve straight up, or if you have ice, on the rocks. Garnish each with an orange slice.

Cook It Wild-COVER.jpg
Cook It Wild copyright © 2023 by Chris Nuttall-Smith. Photographs copyright © 2023 by Maya Visnyei. Illustrations Copyright © 2023 Claire McCracken. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House. Buy full the book from Amazon or Clarkson Potter.
TagsCookbooksCocktailAlcoholBeveragesGinVermouthCampariAmaroLiqueur

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