Negroni Caraibi Recipe

Place 12 oz (about 350 ml) of Dominican aged rum in a clean, wide-mouthed jar.

Add 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut to the jar, seal, and shake to combine.

Let the rum infuse with coconut at room temperature for 24–48 hours, shaking the jar once or twice a day. Taste after 24 hours; target a distinct but not overpowering coconut note.

After infusion, strain the rum through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean container to remove most solids. Press gently to extract liquid.

Optional quick rinse: add 1 cup filtered water to the coconut solids, swirl, and strain into the collected rum to recover any cling-on rum; discard solids. Return washed rum to storage bottle. Chill and store; this is your coconut-washed rum.

Warm 12 oz whole milk gently in a saucepan until it just reaches about 110–120°F (warm, not boiling). Remove from heat.

Stir in 2 tbsp lemon juice. The milk will begin to curdle; allow it to sit 5–10 minutes to fully separate into curds and whey.

Prepare a fine strainer lined with several layers of cheesecloth over a bowl or container. Pour the curdled milk through the cheesecloth and let it drain for a few minutes; do not press hard — you want the clarified whey (liquid) for clarification. Collect the clear-ish whey beneath; this is your clarifying liquid.

Combine the collected whey with the coconut-washed rum, Cocchi sweet vermouth, Campari, and chocolate bitters in a mixing bowl or jar. Stir gently to mix.

Pour the combined mixture slowly through a coffee filter or several layers of fine filter paper into a clean container. This filtration may take time (20–60 minutes) as the solids trap; repeat filtration until the liquid is clear. Collect 0.25 oz portions of this clarified liquid per cocktail (store the clarified batch chilled).

Measure and combine

In a mixing glass, add 2 oz coconut-washed rum, 1 oz Cocchi sweet vermouth, 1 oz Campari, 3 dashes chocolate bitters, and 0.25 oz of the clarified milk-whey infusion.

Stir and chill

Fill the mixing glass with ice (about 1 cup) and stir gently for 30–45 seconds until well-chilled and slightly diluted.

Strain

Double-strain the mixture into a chilled rocks glass over a large ice cube (or serve up in a Nick & Nora glass if preferred).

Garnish

Express the oils of an orange peel over the drink by holding the peel over the glass and giving it a quick twist, then rub the peel on the rim and drop it in as garnish.

Serve immediately. The clarified milk addition softens and smooths the Negroni's bitterness while the coconut-washed rum and chocolate bitters add Caribbean and cacao notes.