Bodrum Negroni Recipe

Pour 8 oz mezcal into a clean glass jar. Add 1 tablespoon toasted cacao nibs, seal and shake gently.

Let infuse at room temperature for 24 hours, taste after 12 hours—infuse up to 48 hours for stronger cacao flavor. Strain through a fine mesh or coffee filter into a clean bottle. Discard nibs. Chill before use.

Whisk 1 teaspoon white miso paste with 2 tablespoons warm sweet red vermouth to dissolve completely. Once smooth, combine with remaining vermouth (total 10 oz) and stir until blended.

Let rest refrigerated for at least 1 hour, then strain through fine mesh or cheesecloth to remove any solids. Store chilled; yields flavored vermouth for multiple cocktails.

In a small jar, combine 2 oz freshly squeezed satsuma (mandarin) juice and 2 teaspoons sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.

Add a small pinch of active cheong starter, water kefir grains, or a pinch of active dry yeast to begin gentle fermentation. Cover with a breathable lid (cheesecloth) and leave at room temperature for 12–24 hours until slightly effervescent and tangy. Refrigerate to slow fermentation. If you prefer to skip fermentation, reduce to a simple satsuma syrup made by dissolving sugar into warm juice; cool before using.

Chill glass

Place a rocks glass in the freezer for a few minutes or fill it with ice and set aside while preparing the cocktail.

Fill a mixing glass with plenty of ice.

Add 2 oz cacao-infused mezcal, 1 oz miso red vermouth, 1/2 oz satsuma cheong ferment (or satsuma syrup if using the shortcut), 1/4 tsp saline solution, and 2 dashes of orange bitters to the mixing glass.

Stir the mixture briskly with a bar spoon for 20–30 seconds (about 30–40 full revolutions) until well chilled and properly diluted (the mixing glass should get frosty).

Discard ice from the chilled rocks glass and place one large clear ice cube or sphere inside.

Strain the stirred cocktail over the large ice cube into the rocks glass.

Express a thin peel of satsuma over the drink to release the oils, rim the glass with the peel, then drop it in as a garnish.

Optionally, grate a small dusting (about 1 tsp) of high-quality dark chocolate over the top for additional cacao aroma and serve immediately.