White Negroni

Perhaps the most ubiquitous cocktail of 2022, the Negroni quickly rose to fame in the past few years. Chock it up to the success of the viral Negroni Sbagliato, the spritzy take on the classic cocktail that substitutes fizzy Prosecco for gin, or a nationwide acceptance of bitter flavors, the Negroni is having a moment. The classic three-part cocktail — that’s gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth — is made for riffing, switching up spirits and liqueurs while maintaining the flavor profiles of the original ingredients. The White Negroni is a standout amongst the riffs on the original. 

Made with gin, Lillet Blanc, and Suze, this cocktail is filled with herbal and floral aromas with a quenching backbone of bitterness. The White Negroni follows the same flavor combinations of the classic — spirit, bitter, sweet — but unlike the Negroni, which is made with equal parts of each, uses Suze and Lillet.

When it comes to Suze, a little goes a long way! The French aperitif has a gorgeous bright yellow hue and is flavored with gentian root, an herb native to alpine climates like France and Switzerland. The flavor is citrusy with a balance of bitter and sweet. In the White Negroni the Suze functions like Campari, giving the cocktail a vibrant color and a hit of bitterness. To balance out the strong flavors of the Suze, this drink leans on the sweet and floral flavors of Lillet Blanc. “Aromatic, floral, and bright, it’s hard not to love Lillet,” writes Kate Dingwall. The wine-based liqueur is made from Bordeaux wine, which is steeped with herbs and spices before being topped with brandy.

The wine is classic Bordeaux varieties, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, which both carry an innate aromatic sweetness. Lillet is delicious on its own over ice and even better in the White Negroni when paired with Suze and herbaceous gin — invest in a bottle and you’ll be ready to mix so many wonderful cocktails just like this one.