White Negroni
Gin, Suze and Lillet Blanc over ice. A pale, bitter, floral cousin of the Negroni.
- Time
- 4 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Rocks glass
- Strength
- 1.8 UK units
How to make a White Negroni
- Build it over ice. Pour the gin, Suze and Lillet Blanc into a mixing glass and fill it with ice.
- Stir until cold. Stir for about 30 seconds, until the outside of the glass feels cold and a little frosted.
- Strain onto fresh ice. Strain over one large ice cube in a rocks glass. Fresh ice melts more slowly than the ice you stirred with.
- Finish with lemon. Squeeze a wide strip of lemon peel over the drink, skin side down, so the oils spray across the top, then drop it in.
- Glass
- Rocks glassNo rocks glass? Any short, heavy tumbler.
- Ice
- One large cube
- Garnish
- Lemon twistOr: A thin slice of lemon.
What you need to make a White Negroni
Kit
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Mixing glassAny sturdy jug or pint glass works.
Bar spoonA long teaspoon does the job.
StrainerA Hawthorne strainer fits over the tin or glass.
Vegetable peelerFor wide strips of peel with little pith.
Bottles we'd use
- SuzeA French gentian liqueur, bitter and yellow. It has no direct substitute in this drink.Find it on Amazon
- Lillet BlancA soft, fruity aperitif wine that rounds off the bitterness.Find it on Amazon
Links to Amazon are affiliate links: if you buy through them, Bar Bandol may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The White Negroni story
Most accounts credit Wayne Collins, who created it in 2001 at a bar in Bordeaux, as a way to show off the gentian liqueur Suze. It follows the Negroni's idea of a bitter, a sweet and a gin, but swaps Campari for Suze and sweet vermouth for Lillet Blanc.
Suze is bitter in a flowery, earthy way, quite unlike Campari. Equal parts is the easy starting point, and then you can adjust: add more gin for a drier drink, or more Lillet to soften the bitterness. Serve it over one big cube so it stays cold without turning watery.
White Negroni: your questions answered
What is in a White Negroni?
A White Negroni is made with 25 ml London dry gin, 25 ml Suze and 25 ml Lillet Blanc. Garnish: lemon twist.
Is a White Negroni shaken or stirred?
A White Negroni is stirred, not shaken. Stirring with ice chills and dilutes it while keeping the drink clear and smooth. Shaking would cloud it and add tiny air bubbles, which suits citrus drinks but not this one.
How strong is a White Negroni?
Made to this recipe, a White Negroni contains about 1.8 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve a White Negroni in?
Serve a White Negroni in a rocks glass over ice. No rocks glass? Any short, heavy tumbler.
