Deconstructed Negroni

It seems it's Negroni Week! All my favorite sites have been exploding with Negronis and Negroni variations. Few cocktails have such a loyal, enthusiastic following as the Negroni. It makes me even more ashamed to admit that it's really not my favorite cocktail. But that doesn't mean I can't still appreciate it. Plus, with all these twists and variations on the classic gin/Campari/sweet vermouth formula, I'm bound to find a version I'm more on board with. For example, I'm pretty sure I'd adore the Contessa, made with gin, dry vermouth, and Aperol.

This sudden focus on Negronis reminded me of something I've been wanting to try for a while now: dehydrating spirits. A bartender at Roosevelt in Denver introduced me to the concept. They do it with Campari and Green Chartreuse, and he said they used the Campari to make a "white Negroni" with gin and dry vermouth. (Incidentally, there's a more popular White Negroni out there, made with gin, Lillet, and Suze - another recipe I'd love to try.) I decided it was high time I dehydrated some Campari and tried this for myself.

Dehydrating spirits is very easy, especially if you have a dehydrator. Most come with little pans for making fruit rolls that are also perfect for liquids. Just put one in place, pour in your booze, and let it run 12-36 hours. I tried running it overnight at first, and thought the whole thing was a bust - the Campari was thick and sticky, but not crystallized at all. I stirred it up a bit and spread it out and found a few patches of solids I hadn't been able to see. After that it dried out quite quickly. I scraped it up and pounded it into small pieces using a muddler. I didn't take photos, but Camper English has the whole process documented over at Alcademics. He's also got an alternative method for those of you who don't own dehydrators: doing it in the oven.

The crystallized Campari makes for a really cool ingredient. It's very pretty, and tastes about like you'd expect - sweet and herbal at first, and then extremely, wonderfully bitter. For my Deconstructed Negroni, I ran an orange wedge around the edge of my glass and dipped it in the Campari, then added gin, dry vermouth, and an orange peel. Of course, a true Negroni is made with sweet vermouth, but then you lose the visual contrast between the clear liquids and the red solids. It's almost like the ghost of a Negroni.

It tastes a bit like that, too. The Campari takes a minute to blend with the rest of the drink on your tongue, which makes for an interesting transition of flavors as you sip. That along with the texture of the Campari made for a truly unique cocktail. It's not one I'll be making again and again, but it was quite a fun experiment. I look forward to using the dehydrated Campari in other ways, and crystallizing some other liqueurs as well.

Deconstructed Negroni

1 oz. gin
3/4 oz. dry vermouth
Dehydrated Campari to rim glass

Combine gin and dry vermouth in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until chilled. Run a small piece of orange around the rim of a rocks glass and coat with the dehydrated Campari. Carefully add one large ice cube. Strain the gin and dry vermouth into the glass. Garnish with an orange twist.