I like spirit forward drinks.
And when I’m at home and just looking for a fun night cap on a Thursday night, I don’t want to spend hours trying to craft something crazy.
Three ingredients, four max.
Easy.
That’s just one of the many reasons why I love the negroni.
It’s got a fantastic bitter, complex flavor, but more importantly: it’s about as easy to make as it gets.
Here’s exactly how I make my negronis.
But bottom line, take all the ingredients, put them in a mixing glass, stir and strain into whatever glass suits your fancy.
Up? Cube? You do you – both work!
But sometimes you want something a little different. A little funkier. A little…weirder – and you want it without having to take 20 minutes to make it.
Enter the Artsy Bird: A Funky Rum Negroni
One of the coolest things about the negroni is just how easy it is to do variations.
Switch out gin for bourbon and you have a boulevardier.
Or you can do a smoky mezcal negroni by adding that instead. It works well with just about any base spirit. Speaking of Mezcal, check out the Smoking Banana, a unique 3 ingredient smoky/old fashioned style cocktail.
Lately I’ve been really drawn to rum. Weird rums. Funky rums.
Smith and Cross.
Doctor Bird.
Cool Martinique rhums.
So I’ve taken my love for the negroni and flipped it a bit. After all, apparently the negroni is the signature drink of my home state of Oregon? Who knew.
How to Make a Rum Negroni: Making an Artsy Bird
It’s not uncommon to see people do a Kingston Negroni that switches out gin for Smith and Cross, which is fantastic.
To differentiate mine, I went a different direction.
Instead of the Smith and Cross I use a slightly less funky Jamaican rum called Doctor Bird.
And then I switch out the Campari for the dark, herbal, and bitter artichoke liqueur Cynar.
And because both of those are such strong flavors you can use the bold Antica Formula vermouth to balance it out and create a super unique, bitter, delicious dark drink.
I add a dash of orange bitters, and two dashes of chocolate bitters, and an expressed orange peel for garnish.
You’re left with a really interesting drink, that only takes a couple minutes to make. I love super elaborate cocktails as much as the next person. But let’s be real, most home bartenders aren’t looking for a long process. They want something simple and delicious they can drink themselves or serve to their guests, and I think the Artsy Bird makes for the perfect after dinner cocktail.
Tried it? Let me know what you think!
Artsy Bird: A Rum Negroni Variation
Equipment
- Mixing Glass
- Vegetable Peeler
- Bar Spoon
- Hawthorne Strainer
Ingredients
- 1 oz Doctor Bird Rum
- 1 oz Cynar
- 1 oz Carpano Antica
- 1 Dash Orange Bitters I use Reagans
- 2 Dashes Chocolate Bitters I use Scrappys
- 1 Orange (For Garnish)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into a mixing glass
- Add ice, and stir until chilled
- Strain into a Nick and Nora Glass
- Express an orange peel over top of drink, wipe rim with it, and drop in drink.
It’s a yummy recipe but please write recipes using the generic spirit names, not brand names. It’s annoying to have to look up all these brands and find what I have that is equivalent. It’s super easy to write 1 oz amaro (I used Cynar).
Thanks Rosie, appreciate the comment! But not all amaros are the same. You would have a completely different drink if you used say Fernet, or Aperol in this. So Cynar is a very specific ingredient for this cocktail. Not to say it wouldnt work well with other amaros, but you just have something different. If you used something specific to sub, I’d love to hear what it was and how it turned out!