Funghi Negroni Recipe

Combine

Place 6 oz mezcal in a clean jar. Add 6 g dried shiitake mushrooms (or 2 thinly sliced fresh shiitakes). Seal the jar.

Steep

Let steep at room temperature for 12–24 hours, tasting after 12. The goal is a subtle mushroom note — avoid overpowering. For a lighter note, 6–8 hours may suffice; for more pronounced funk, do 24 hours.

Strain & Reserve

Strain the infusion through a fine mesh or coffee filter into a clean bottle. Reserve 0.5 oz per cocktail; store refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

Prepare glass and rim (optional)

If using a salted rim, mix 1 tsp coarse sea salt with 0.25 tsp ground coffee or mushroom powder on a small plate. Wipe the cocktail glass edge with a damp cloth and gently dip into the salt mixture to coat lightly. This pairs with the savory mushroom notes.

Chill glass

Place the cocktail glass in the freezer or fill with ice water to chill while you build the drink.

Add all liquid ingredients to a mixing glass with ice: 2 oz mezcal, 1 oz Flower Girl sweet vermouth, 1 oz Campari, and 0.5 oz shiitake-infused mezcal. The extra infused mezcal adds an umami/mushroom accent without unbalancing the classic Negroni ratio.

Stir to chill

Stir the mixture for 20–30 seconds (about 30–40 revolutions) until well-chilled and properly diluted (a slight glaze on the mixing glass).

Strain into glass

Discard ice or water from the chilled serving glass and place a large clear ice cube in it. Strain the stirred cocktail over the large ice cube.

Garnish

Garnish with a dried shiitake fan or a lightly seared/fanned fresh shiitake on a cocktail pick. If you have a smoking gun, briefly smoke the glass under a cloche with a few seconds of mushroom or oak smoke and lift just before serving to present an aromatic waft.