Black Dragon Negroni Recipe
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In yet another attempt to warm up to an impulse-purchased bottle of baijiu, I present to you my RIFF on a cocktail classic, the negroni.
Now I know the one “rule” for a negroni is that it should (“must”) contain campari, but hear me out, campari is bad. I said it, I mean it, and I’m not sorry. If I wanted to taste something that bitter I’d just think about the imminent collapse of society brought on by decades of an unfettered, greedy, corrupt, capitalist nation with no signs of reversing course anytime soon…but I don’t really want to do that either, so I just sub Aperol and you should too.
Aperol offers similar bitter notes while adding nuance unlike Campari which simply steamrolls whatever flavors the smallest amount has just come in contact with.
The other noticeable change is the lack of sweet vermouth. I did attempt a few iterations of this drink with both sweet vermouth and Campari but with the Baijiu being such a loud spirit I felt like there was far too much infighting, too many aggressive flavors fighting for your attention when attempting to mix these particular spirits in the style of a “true” Negroni.
Because of this I ended up going with the Cocchi over the sweet vermouth as it creates a much more harmonious and balanced drink in the end. All said and done we are left with the Black Dragon Negroni, a cocktail made in the spirit (wink) of a Negroni.
Happy Year of the Dragon!
Black Dragon Negroni Recipe
Ingredients:
1oz Oolong Infused Ming River Baijiu*
1oz Cocchi Americano
1oz Aperol
1-2 dashes Saline Solution
¼ oz Sichuan Tincture**, for rinsing
Directions:
Pour the sichuan tincture into a rocks glass and swirl around gently coating the edges. Set aside while you build the rest of the cocktail in a separate mixing vessel.
In your mixing vessel combine the Baijiu, Cocchi, Aperol, and saline solution. Add more ice than liquid and stir with a bar spoon for 30 – 40 rotations.
Give your tincture another swirl around the glass and discard. That can be down the sink, down the hatch, or back into the tincture container for later.
Add a large ice cube to your “rinsed” glass and strain the cocktail over it.
Skol!
Notes:
*To make the oolong Baijiu simple add 2 of your favorite oolong tea bags to 8oz of baijiu and let sit for at least 8 hours. Shouldn’t need to be said but the better the quality of the tea the better the quality of the infusion.
**To make the Sichuan tincture combine 8oz of high proof vodka with 25g of red sichuan peppers in an airtight container. Give it a good shake and allow it to sit for 2-3 days. Taste test it each day and strain out the peppercorns when you’re happy with the flavor. Don’t let it sit for much longer than that though as it will start to take on more bitter/astringent flavors rather than the floral/aromatic flavors we’re looking for here.
Black Dragon Negroni
Embrace the Year of the Dragon with our Black Dragon Negroni recipe. A bold mix honoring the spirit of the dragon.
Ingredients
- 1oz Oolong Infused Ming River Baijiu*
- 1oz Cocchi Americano
- 1oz Aperol
- 1-2 dashes Saline Solution
- ¼ oz Sichuan Tincture**, for rinsing
Instructions
- Pour the sichuan tincture into a rocks glass and swirl around gently coating the edges. Set aside while you build the rest of the cocktail in a separate mixing vessel.
- In your mixing vessel combine the Baijiu, Cocchi, Aperol, and saline solution. Add more ice than liquid and stir with a bar spoon for 30 - 40 rotations.
- Give your tincture another swirl around the glass and discard. That can be down the sink, down the hatch, or back into the tincture container for later.
- Add a large ice cube to your “rinsed” glass and strain the cocktail over it.
Notes
*To make the oolong Baijiu simple add 2 of your favorite oolong tea bags to 8oz of baijiu and let sit for at least 8 hours. Shouldn't need to be said but the better the quality of the tea the better the quality of the infusion.
**To make the Sichuan tincture combine 8oz of high proof vodka with 25g of red sichuan peppers in an airtight container. Give it a good shake and allow it to sit for 2-3 days. Taste test it each day and strain out the peppercorns when you're happy with the flavor. Don’t let it sit for much longer than that though as it will start to take on more bitter/astringent flavors rather than the floral/aromatic flavors we’re looking for here.
