How to Make a Negroni Sbagliato Cocktail Recipe

Although messing up a drink recipe doesn’t sound like the best way to make a great tasting cocktail, one Italian drink proves that happy accidents are possible. A Negroni Sbagliato cocktail by Toronto bar D.W. Alexander is the perfect addition to a fun evening. This sparkling punch-like mixture has a nice, palatable taste that goes great at dinner parties. It’s a refreshingly light cocktail with a pleasant red color that can be garnished with an array of fresh fruits to make a beautiful springtime concoction. The recipe is quite simple:

Negroni Sbagliato Cocktail Recipe

Negroni Sbagliato Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients

1oz Gin
1oz Sweet Vermouth
1oz Cava (or a similarly sweet sparkling white wine)
OPTIONAL: Fresh seasonal fruit (oranges, limes, grapefruits, etc.)
NOTE: To make a larger portion size which can be served to guests, you can add as much of each ingredient as needed, but always keep the portions equal. For example, if you use 5oz of Gin, you must use 5oz of the other two ingredients, etc.

Directions

1. Mix together Gin and Sweet Vermouth into a glass filled with ice. Stir them gently to combine. If you’re making a party size portion, you can use a punch bowl with ice in it.
2. If you plan to use fresh fruit garnishes, slice the fruit into wheels. Put the fruit slice(s) into your drink mixture.
3. Top the mixture with Cava sparkling wine. Stir briefly to combine. Garnish with a leftover fruit wheel of your choice.

Variations

The great thing about this cocktail is that you can easily “mess it up” further to make the flavor or appearance suit any occasion. Here are a few tasty variations to the Negroni Sbagliato cocktail:

1. You can make a lighter cocktail mix by nixing the Gin. Instead, use a light Campari in the equivalent amount. This is a popular substitution, and the red color of Campari adds a pleasing look to your glass.
2. Spice up your garnish by sprinkling fresh ground cinnamon on top of the entire punch bowl mixture. Wait until you have done all of the necessary stirring, so that the cinnamon will simply rest on top and add a touch of spice along with an attractive dusted appearance to the cocktail.
3. Change it up to add a bit of a kick to the recipe. Substitute good vodka for the Gin and you will end up with a Negroski cocktail. This is stronger and has a different flavor, but that might be what you prefer if you’re not a fan of Gin.

What cocktail recipes are you making this weekend?