Few drinks carry the cachet of a Negroni. The stirred, bitter cocktail is ubiquitous enough to boast its own eponymous week in the industry and is considered to be the most popular cocktail in the world. It also possesses a level of social media clout that passing drink fads cannot touch: It turned Stanley Tucci into a temporary pariah after he pulled a James Bond and shook the drink on Instagram, and the Negroni Sbagliato (with Prosecco in it!) took bars by storm in late 2022. It’s also the occasional subject of more tone-deaf discussions; type “Is a Negroni” into Google, and “a girly drink” and “a man’s drink” both populate the search bar. (The correct answer: It’s a drink for everyone).
The Negroni is also a simple cocktail, built from a classic 1-1-1 ratio of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. Its foundation makes it ripe for riffs, but its base specs of pure alcohol with no fruit juice or fancy accouterments makes it a no-muss, no-fuss cocktail that’s quick to make — and sometimes, just as quick to enjoy. This simplicity tends to make a Negroni a cost-effective drink on-premise, but it also makes it a little tricky for bar owners and managers to price. If it’s too low, it could cut into their already slight margins. If it’s too high, it could cause customers to raise an eyebrow, suspecting that they’re getting ripped off. So, how do the professionals find the sweet spot?
The answer can vary. Here,