Negroni Sour Cherry Recipe

Combine pitted sour cherries, sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until cherries break down and liquid thickens slightly (about 6–8 minutes).

Mash the cherries with the back of a spoon or a small whisk to release more juice and concentrate the mixture.

Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice, and let cool to room temperature (about 10–15 minutes).

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. You should have roughly 2 tablespoons of concentrated cherry syrup. Cool completely before using.

Prepare

If using egg white, separate the egg and reserve half of the white (about 1/2 large egg white). Measure out gin, Campari, sweet vermouth, lemon juice, simple syrup and the cooled cherry reduction.

Dry shake (no ice): In a cocktail shaker, add gin, Campari, sweet vermouth, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, 1/2 egg white, 2 dashes Angostura bitters and 0.5 oz (approximately 1 tbsp) of the cooled cherry reduction. Dry shake vigorously for 15–20 seconds to emulsify and create a foamy texture.

Wet shake (with ice): Add ice to the shaker and shake hard for another 10–15 seconds to chill and dilute.

Double strain into a chilled coupe or rocks glass (if serving on the rocks add fresh large ice cube). Use a fine strainer plus the shaker strainer to remove small ice shards and any remaining solids.

Optional float: Gently pour 0.25 oz amaro or sweet vermouth over the back of a spoon to float on top for extra aromatic complexity.

Finish & garnish: Add 2 dashes of Angostura bitters on the foam and use a toothpick to create a small decorative swirl or pattern. Garnish with 1–2 Luxardo or sour cherries on a pick and serve immediately.