Considering that the Martini – gin mixed with just the right amount of dry vermouth – is the ultimate way to enjoy the spirit's clear color and crisp, junipery flavor, it might seem counterintuitive to steer things the opposite direction, stirring it up with something red, spicy, and slightly sweet.
But this past weekend, that’s just what I did – I mixed gin with three different red apéritifs (Dubonnet Rouge, Campari, and sweet vermouth), in three classic cocktails: The Dubonnet, the Negroni, and the Gin and It.
The results were delicious.
Dubonnet Cocktail
(makes one drink)
1.5 ounces gin
1.5 ounces Dubonnet Rouge
(some recipes call for a dash of bitters, but I left it out)
garnish with a twist of lemon
Here Dubonnet, a classic French wine-based apéritif, is mixed with an equal measure of gin and garnished with a lemon twist. The Dubonnet gives the drink a rich, spicy port wine flavor, with a hint of bitterness (Dubonnet Rouge contains quinine, the stuff that gives tonic water its zip). This cocktail is said to have been a favorite of the late Queen Mother.
The Negroni
(makes one drink)
1 ounce gin
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1 ounce Campari
garnish with a twist of orange (or - even better - a flamed orange twist)
A drink with a story: The Negroni is fabled to have been invented in Florence around 1919, by a count who wanted his Americano with an extra kick, prompting the bartender to add a measure of gin. The spicy, herbal, and deliciously bitter flavor of Campari really shines through in this heady cocktail.
Gin and It
(makes one drink)
1.5 ounces gin
1.5 ounces sweet (aka red or Italian) vermouth
(some recipes call for a dash of bitters, but I left it out)
garnish with a twist of orange
The “It” in this recipe is Italian vermouth. A super-simple combination of basic bar staples - but so surprisingly good, I wondered why I'd never tried it before.
A Note on Preparation: Recipe variations abound. I’ve found each of these drinks alternately shaken, stirred, built over ice in a rocks glass, and/or with an added splash of club soda (especially in the case of the strongly bitter Negroni). But my personal preference for all three - especially in these last days of winter - is straight up in a cocktail glass.
Do you have any favorite gin-based cocktails?
Related: Spotlight on Gin: Some New Favorites
(Images: Nora Maynard)
How To Make Perfect Bacon in the Oven
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Straw Mat from The ...
Must-See Small Cool Homes: Week Two
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
Just a comment: stirred cocktails have quite a different taste and mouthfeel from stirred cocktails, so the choice of method is not trivial. For example, if you use Martini ingredients and stir the mix with ice cubes, you get a Martini; if you shake, you get a Bradford. Two different drinks.
Last night I juiced four ruby red grapefruit and mixed it with gin. Gin and grapefruit were made for each other.
I usually drink my gin with OJ, like a screwdriver but with gin.
We keep a bottle of chilled Dubonnet Rouge on hand at all times, often importing the stronger European version from Duty Free shops as we travel. Now, instead of serving the aperitif solo, I'll be sure to mix some gin into my husband's favorite drink.
can't beat a great Gin & Tonic with heaps on fresh lime thrown in.
Gin and Tonic with a small lime wedge, not lemon, must be lime.
A Gimlet is my favored drink. Make with really good gin and real lime juice, not Rose's Lime.
ooh, i'm glad to see the "gin and it" recipe...i accidentally bought some red vermouth instead of white and have been wondering what to do with it.
"...stirred cocktails have...from stirred cocktails..." meant stirred vs. shaken.
it's amazing how enduring these are. dubonnet, favourite of the Queen, the Queen Mother, and the French Foreign Legion?
@RoseCampion:
a gimlet is ALWAYS made with Rose's. Read Raymond Chandler's "The Long Goodbye". You're making some form of a Gin Rickey.
I know that this article is quite old, but I feel the need to point something out. While the lore regarding the Negroni is correct, it is now considered somewhat odd that a drink fabled to have originated in 1919 doesn't appear in any pre-1956 cocktail or bartending guides, including those promoted by Campari.
Regardless of the lore, the Negroni is a delicious drink. Try with Martini Rosso sweet red vermouth and Plymouth gin, shaken, and served in a rocks glass on ice, with a slice of orange. Excellent summer drink.