The 6 Best Gins for a Negroni

It is popularly believed that the Negroni was first invented by Count Camillo Negroni in 1919 at the Caffè Casoni in Florence, Italy, when Negroni ordered an Americano with gin in place of soda water. And thank juniper he did, because the bittersweet cocktail is now among the most popular classic gin cocktails today, standing proudly beside the likes of martinis, gimlets and G&Ts.

Made from a 1:1:1 ratio of gin, red vermouth and Campari (and an orange twist), the Negroni is also appreciated for its easy recipe and accessible ingredients.

Did you know that the Negroni is so well-loved that it has an entire week completely dedicated to it? Running from Sept. 12-18, Negroni Week is celebrated in participating locations around the world since 2013, when Imbibe Magazine first launched it.

The boozy week-long holiday does more than give people a good excuse to drink a tasty cocktail — the initiative also raises funds for good causes. In 2022, Imbibe Magazine and Campari’s official charity partner was Slow Food, an organization that works to provide good, healthy food to over 160 countries.

Negroni Week is celebrated for seven days, but that doesn’t mean the cocktail can’t be enjoyed for the other 358 days of the year. And if you need a little help selecting the best booze for this beloved cocktail, we’ve got your back.

The best Negroni gins are going to be punchy and bold — soft and subtle spirits just aren’t going to make the cut. We want a gin that can really stand up to the bitter herbs of Campari and the juicy sweetness of red vermouth. With that in mind, here are the six best gins for a Negroni!

St. George Dry Rye Gin

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St. George Dry Rye Gin is bold, complex and perfect for a Campari and sweet vermouth pairing.

Created as a clever nod to gin’s origin, genever, St. George Dry Rye is made with 100% pot-distilled rye and a botanical mix of juniper, black peppercorn, caraway, coriander, grapefruit peel and lime peel. Spicey and malty, St. George Dry Rye will make for an excellent Negroni. Hey, St. George Spirits even recommends you make one!

Black Button Barrel Reserve Gin

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Let’s be bold with a bonus pop of citrus in your cocktail.

Black Button Distillery’s Barrel Reserve Gin is made with sweet and bitter orange peels, lemon peel, grains of paradise, cardamom, angelica root, star anise, cinnamon bark and cascade hop. This gin will make just the perfect spiced-up, extra orangey Negroni!

If you needed further encouragement to try this gin in a Negroni, it’s also barrel aged for 12 months in Black Button Distilling’s used bourbon barrels, adding dreamy wood notes and hints of vanilla. This gin is bottled at a whopping 53.5% ABV and found for under $50.

Ransom Old Tom Gin

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For double the fun, Ransom Old Tom Gin is both an Old Tom and barrel-aged gin. Anticipate a slight sweetness from added sugars, a well-loved feature of Old Tom gin.

Ransom Old Tom is made with a barley spirit, juniper, cardamom, angelica root, citrus zest and coriander. Ransom Spirits ages this gin for three months in French wine oak casks for unique notes of teak. A Negroni is also a suggested cocktail by the distiller. Lucky us!

This gin is bottled at 44% ABV and found for under $45.

6 O’Clock Brunel Gin

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6 O’Clock Brunel Gin is not only stylishly bottled, but herbaceous, spiced and “exquisitely engineered,” according to the distiller. It is also “exquisitely engineered” for a Negroni, we think.

A bounty of spices, this gin is made with green cardamom, nutmeg, cumin, cassia bark, cubeb pepper, lemon and even more juniper than 6 O’Clock Gin. Oh, and it’s bottled at an impressive 50% ABV. Find 6 O’Clock Brunel Gin for under $50.

Manifest Barreled Gin

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Manifest Barreled Gin is caramelly, citrusy and graced with notes of rich oak from its time spent in a barrel.

This gin is aged for around three months and made from a base of Manifest Distilling‘s 45% ABV gin. The botanical mix includes cardamom, coriander, juniper, angelica root, lemon and orange peel and organic Florida citrus. Manifest Barreled Gin can be found for under $45.

Highclere Castle Gin

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We needed at least one London dry on our Negroni list, and here it is! But not just any London dry will do, Highclere Castle Gin comes to us highly decorated with 32 international double gold and platinum awards.

Citrusy, floral and perfectly piney, this gin is made with juniper, lavender, lime flower, orange peel and oats grown on the Highclere Estate. And we think gin made with oats is certainly something special. Highclere Castle Gin can be found for under $50, bottled at 43.5% ABV.

Read next:

The 5 Best Gins We Tasted in March 2023

How to Make ‘House of the Dragon’ Star Emma D’Arcy’s Favorite Drink — a Negroni Sbagliato

‘Shaken, Not Stirred’: Why James Bond Is Wrong About How He Drinks a Martini

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