Sour Cherry Gin Negroni Recipe

Cook syrup

Combine cherries, sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves, bring to a gentle simmer and cook 6–8 minutes until cherries release their juices and the liquid slightly thickens.

Finish and strain

Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice, let cool 10 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a container, pressing on solids to extract syrup. Refrigerate. Yields about 3/4 cup; keeps 2 weeks.

Measure and combine

In a mixing glass or pint glass add 1 oz gin, 1 oz Campari, 1 oz sweet vermouth, 1/2 oz sour cherry syrup and 1/4 oz fresh lemon juice. Add 2 dashes orange bitters.

Add ice and stir

Fill the mixing glass with ice (about 1 cup). Stir briskly but smoothly for 20–30 seconds (about 20–30 revolutions) until the mixture is well chilled and slightly diluted.

Strain

Strain the cocktail into a chilled rocks glass over one large ice cube or a few fresh cubes.

Garnish

Skewer 2 sour cherries on a pick and rest it on the glass or drop the cherries into the drink. Express the orange peel over the drink to release oils, rim the glass with the peel, then drop it in or rest as a twist.

Serve

Serve immediately. Optional: for a slightly more bitter, drier profile, reduce the sour cherry syrup to 1/4 oz and increase Campari to 1.25 oz.