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Cardinale

A drier variation of the Negroni using dry vermouth instead of sweet. More herbaceous and crisp.

Swapping sweet vermouth for dry turns the Negroni formula lean and bracing, and the lemon twist in place of orange underlines it. Gin leads here, four parts to two of dry vermouth and one of Campari, the same proportion Rome used from the start and the one the IBA adopted as its official recipe in 2024; it keeps the drink spirit-forward rather than letting the bitter win. The choice that matters is the gin: a London dry with plenty of juniper keeps the drink from tasting only of bitter.

Prep
5 min
Serves
1
Difficulty
Easy

Cardinale

Prep 5 min · Serves 1 · Difficulty Easy

Method

  1. Fill a mixing glass with ice.

  2. Pour gin, dry vermouth, and Campari.

  3. Stir well until chilled.

  4. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

  5. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Lazio

The Cardinale was created in Rome in the 1950s by Giovanni Raimondo at the Hotel Excelsior, and takes its name from its cardinal-red color. In much of central and southern Italy the same name also means something simpler: Campari Soda topped with bitter orange soda, poured into a tumbler.

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