White Negroni

The White Negroni is a spirit-forward cocktail that features gin, Lillet Blanc aperitif, and Suze liqueur. This modern classic cocktail is a riff on a Negroni and has an herbaceous, slightly floral flavor profile with ample bitterness and a boozy finish.  

Like many great drinks, the White Negroni was created somewhat by accident. This drink’s origin story is set in Bordeaux, France in 2001 where London-based bartender Wayne Collins attended Vinexpo and was looking to make a Negroni on a night off. He and Nick Blacknell, the then director of Plymouth Gin, went shopping for Negroni ingredients at a local liquor store in Médoc and were drawn to French ingredients like Suze liqueur and Lillet Blanc. One thing led to another and the White Negroni was born and quickly cemented itself in the lexicon of modern classic cocktails.

Much like its inspiration, the White Negroni is a three ingredient cocktail that features a spirit, a bittering agent, and a sweeter wine-based mixer. In keeping with the classic Negroni, this cocktail leans on gin for its floral and herbaceous notes, and bracing alcoholic edge. In lieu of Campari, this cocktail calls for Suze for its bittering agent. Suze is a French liqueur made with gentian root, an herb native to alpine climates that yields a liqueur with an earthy, herbaceous, citrusy, and bittersweet flavor profile. 

Instead of sweet vermouth, the White Negroni features Lillet Blanc, a wine-based aperitif made by steeping herbs and spices in a white Bordeaux wine made from Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Lillet Blanc has a floral, lightly sweet flavor profile and a gentle sweetness that blends seamlessly into this drink.

What makes the White Negroni work?

While the White Negroni is a three-ingredient cocktail much like a classic Negroni, it differs from the original in its ratios. A Negroni combines all three ingredients in equal parts while the White Negroni leans on a 3-2-1 ratio to keep things in balance. 

The gin plays a larger role here, with 1 ounce of Lillet Blanc used, and just a touch of Suze. This ratio is tailored to the flavor profiles of the individual ingredients: Lillet Blanc has more floral sweetness than the sweet vermouth used in a traditional Negroni, and Suze is quite bitter and pungent compared to Campari, so both are used in smaller amounts to maintain a balanced cocktail.