Name: 4 Charles Prime Ribs Bottled St. Agrestis "phony Negroni" Recipe
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 8 oz gin (London dry); 8 oz sweet vermouth; 8 oz alkanet bitters blend (Campari substitute - bitter orange + gentian + rhubarb blend); 1 oz simple syrup (1:1); 4 tsp dried orange peel (for infusion); 4 oz bottled cocktail neutral spirit (vodka or neutral grain spirit for proofing); 2 oz water (for adjusting sweetness and proof); 1 to taste large ice cubes or ice sphere; 1 piece orange peel (wide, expressed); 0.25 piece optional rosemary sprig

Method

Make the bottled St. Agrestis “Phony Negroni” (batch for 4 servings)

Infuse bitter notes

Place the dried orange peel and the alkanet bitters blend (bitter orange + gentian + rhubarb) into a clean glass jar. Add the 8 oz of the alkanet bitters blend called for above if your blend is concentrated; if using a pre-made bitter liqueur substitute, add it now. Seal the jar and let the peel infuse with the bitters for 2–6 hours at room temperature to bloom aromatics. You may infuse longer (up to 24 hours) for a deeper orange aroma — strain before bottling.

Combine base spirits and modifiers

In a large measuring pitcher or mixing container, pour 8 oz gin and 8 oz sweet vermouth. Add the infused bitters (strain out the peel), 1 oz simple syrup, 4 oz neutral spirit (vodka or neutral grain spirit) to help preserve and raise proof, and 2 oz water. Stir gently to combine for about 20–30 seconds until homogeneous.

Adjust balance

Taste a small sample chilled over ice. If the blend is too bitter, add up to 0.5 oz more simple syrup (adjust by 0.25 oz increments). If it’s too sweet, add another 0.5–1 oz gin or 0.5 oz bitters blend to restore bitterness. If proof is too high for your preference, add a little more water (up to 1 oz) or neutral spirit if you want to increase proof. The target profile should be bright bitter-orange, rounded by vermouth sweetness and a gin backbone.

Bottle and rest

Once balanced, pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer (or coffee filter) into a sanitized 500–750 ml glass bottle. Seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to let flavors marry. The bottled cocktail will keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks; shake gently before using if separation occurs.

Serve a single cocktail

Fill an old-fashioned glass with one large ice cube or sphere.

Pour 3.5 oz (about 105 ml) of the bottled Phony Negroni over the ice. This pour yields a balanced negroni-style drink for one (1 serving). For a lighter serve, use 2.5–3 oz.

Express an orange peel over the drink to release oils: hold peel with outside facing down, give a sharp twist close to glass, then rim the glass with the peel and drop it in.

Optional: slap a small rosemary sprig between hands to release aromatics and rest it against the peel as a secondary garnish (adds herbal note).

Serve immediately. Encourage guests to stir once to integrate chill and dilution from the large ice cube.