Café Negroni

About the Café Negroni

Equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari make a Negroni, and swapping in a rum for the gin, as the Cafe Negroni does with Timber Creek’s Florida Coffee Rum, changes the whole character of the drink from botanical and juniper forward to roasted and slightly sweet, while keeping the same bitter, bold structure intact. Campari’s assertive bitterness is usually the dominant note in a classic Negroni, but here it shares the stage more evenly with the coffee rum’s own roasted flavor, since Timber Creek builds real coffee character into this spirit through its grain to glass process rather than relying on a neutral base. That gives the finished drink two sources of bitterness working together, Campari’s herbal bitterness and the rum’s roasted edge, balanced against the sweet vermouth’s softer, fruit forward profile.

To build it, stir the rum, sweet vermouth, and Campari together with ice until well chilled, then strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Finish with an orange peel, expressed over the drink to release its citrus oils before adding it as a garnish. Bold and bitter, this cocktail pairs naturally with the FoodPairings on this recipe, salty tapas and cured meats, since both stand up well to a strongly flavored, assertive drink rather than getting overwhelmed by it.

It is a good choice for anyone who already enjoys a Negroni and wants to try a coffee forward variation on the format, particularly as an aperitif before a meal with strong, savory flavors of its own, since the drink’s own bitterness helps set the stage for what follows rather than filling you up beforehand. Because it is fully spirited and served without much dilution, this is a sip and savor cocktail rather than a fast one. Enjoy it with intention, and remember that less is often more.

Equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari make a Negroni, and swapping in a rum for the gin, as the Cafe Negroni does with Timber Creek’s Florida Coffee Rum, changes the whole character of the drink from botanical and juniper forward to roasted and slightly sweet, while keeping the same bitter, bold structure intact. Campari’s assertive bitterness is usually the dominant note in a classic Negroni, but here it shares the stage more evenly with the coffee rum’s own roasted flavor, since Timber Creek builds real coffee character into this spirit through its grain to glass process rather than relying on a neutral base. That gives the finished drink two sources of bitterness working together, Campari’s herbal bitterness and the rum’s roasted edge, balanced against the sweet vermouth’s softer, fruit forward profile.

To build it, stir the rum, sweet vermouth, and Campari together with ice until well chilled, then strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Finish with an orange peel, expressed over the drink to release its citrus oils before adding it as a garnish. Bold and bitter, this cocktail pairs naturally with the FoodPairings on this recipe, salty tapas and cured meats, since both stand up well to a strongly flavored, assertive drink rather than getting overwhelmed by it.

It is a good choice for anyone who already enjoys a Negroni and wants to try a coffee forward variation on the format, particularly as an aperitif before a meal with strong, savory flavors of its own, since the drink’s own bitterness helps set the stage for what follows rather than filling you up beforehand. Because it is fully spirited and served without much dilution, this is a sip and savor cocktail rather than a fast one. Enjoy it with intention, and remember that less is often more.