The Surprisingly Affordable Gin for the Best Negroni

It’s an affordable, widely available, perfectly flavored choice.

My first adult fancy drink of choice was the Negroni. I felt so sophisticated sipping on it at bars where I could barely afford it. I’ve never been a fan of sweet beverages, and there was something about the pleasantly bitter flavor of the Negroni that kept me coming back for more. I had a phase (pre-kids, of course!) where I’d order a Negroni almost everywhere I went, taking note of the different garnishes or fancy ice used. Ironically, I never paid too much attention to the gin going into the glass until a foray into home mixology went horribly wrong.

Once I discovered how easy it was to make a Negroni at home—just three ingredients: gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth!—it was my go-to libation for entertaining. That was until, one day, I grabbed a gin that had been sitting on my bar for a few years collecting dust. Without naming names, I will just say it was simply all wrong. The cocktail tasted medicinal. How did I mess up one of the simplest drinks out there? It turns out I should have been paying closer attention to the gin I used.

After that blooper, I’ve consistently stocked my home bar with a pretty basic gin that has worked in my beloved Negronis. I don’t dip into that bottle too often, but recently I poured out the last drop to make a batch of gin-soaked raisins. (Turns out as you approach 40, there is much less cocktail making at home, and much more need for DIY arthritis treatment!) It was time to restock, but should I try something new? The Negroni I was making was okay, but could it be improved upon with a better choice of gin? I reached out to some experts in the cocktail space to find out their favorite gin for a Negroni, and the answer surprised me: tried-and-true Beefeater London Dry Gin was everyone’s top choice!

The Experts I Spoke To:

• Camille Wilson: Creator of The Cocktail Snob

• Cameron Fielding: Host of the cocktail podcast Nightcap and the man behind the @Mindful_mixologist

• Steve Bayusik: Director of Operations at Geronimo Hospitality Co. with restaurants in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Florida

The Best Gin for Negronis, According to Bartenders

One thing was incredibly clear when I set out on my quest to find the best gin for a Negroni: The only gin style acceptable among experts is London Dry. First distilled in the 19th century in the city for which it’s named, London Dry gin is known for its strong juniper flavors and citrusy background notes. This assertive yet dry taste is a natural pairing to bitter, herbaceous Campari, the foundation of every Negroni.

An icon of the style, Beefeater has been around since London Dry’s beginnings. Says Fielding, “It’s a classic London Dry with classic London Dry flavors. It’s sometimes considered a cheap and over-produced product. But, honestly, its affordability makes it accessible. And when you have a Negroni, you expect strong, traditional, juniper-forward gin, and that's exactly what you get from Beefeater.”

Wilson also prizes Beefeater for its nuanced citrus undertones. “It works well in a Negroni because of the lemon zest notes,” she explains.

“You can’t go wrong with it,” Bayusik agrees. “It’s widely available, and for someone just getting started with making Negronis, its old-school taste provides a benchmark for the flavor that the drink is supposed to have. It’s also what bartenders have been using for a long time, pre-dating all the boutique brands now on the market. Once you master a Beefeater Negroni, the boutique brands can be fun to experiment with in search of other flavors.”

While it pains me to say it, it turns out that this is just another thing my parents were right about all along. They’ve featured a bottle of Beefeater prominently on their bar for years, and now I will, too!