The  Negroni is considered by many to be the perfect cocktail. A balance of bitterness, sweetness, dryness and spicy aromatics. It is also simple to make, being made of only three ingredients, equal parts Gin, Vermouth and Campari and served with ice and orange rind.
    Personally, I love a good classic Negroni, easily considering it my favourite cocktail or mixed drink. The taste of a Negroni is polarizing, you either love them or hate them ( The coriander of the cocktail world). Those who enjoy bitter notes  however, will usually love the taste.
    Of course for many, bitterness is something that they struggle with. However if you appreciate the bitter notes from coffee or dark chocolate then you are ready for a Negroni.

    The Negroni is an acquired taste due largely to its bitterness, but don't let that put you off. The beauty of a classic Negroni is in its balance. The bitterness is counteracted with sweetness leaving a refreshing bitter-sweetness that gets your taste buds dancing.
    A Negroni is however quite a strong cocktail coming in at about 24% ABV or 2 standard drinks.( Of course this depends on the strength of the gin or vermouth you are using). This is because it contains no mixers such as soda's or juices.
    Another aspect to its unique flavour profile is the aromats. As the drink is made from 3 liquors all renowned for their use of herbs and spices in their manufacture, it is hardly surprising.
    It is this bitter-sweetness combined with the spiciness from the aromats that make it such a special drink.

    This year (2019) sees the 100 anniversary of this much loved but polarizing cocktail. The story goes that in Florence, Italy in 1919, Count Camillo Negroni asked his bartender to make his Americano (Itself another classic cocktail) stronger by substituting Gin for the soda and thus the Negroni was born.
    The Negroni family then founded "Negroni Distillerie" a distillery that specialized in a ready made version of the drink.

    Started in 2013, Negroni Week is a seven day tribute to the Negroni. During this week long celebration, bars around the world, having registered as participants, donate money and proceeds to a number of local charities.
    Negroni week also sees these same bars, create variations of the classic Negroni and offer them for that week only. Whilst many variations use different gin's, vermouth's or amaro's other than the traditional Campari, some add interesting new flavours. During last years Negroni week, I tried a coffee Negroni and an interestingly delicious beetroot Negroni.
    This year Negroni week is next week June 24-30. To find out what bars are participating near you, simply visit the Negroni Week website.

    A Negroni is comprised of three different liquors, Amaro (Traditionally Campari), Gin and Sweet Vermouth.
                                                          Amaro
    So lets start with the Amaro. An Amaro ( which means bitter in Italian) is a bitter  liqueur from Italy. It is made from a spirit base, utilizing citrus fruits and flavoured with herbs. The most common citrus used is the bitter Chinotto Orange.
    The traditional Negroni uses Campari although using differing Amaro's will add different complexities to your drink. My favourite Amaro is one from Applewood Distillery in Australia called Okar, flavoured with native  ingredients such as Davidson Plums. However I rarely use it to make a Negroni as I much prefer to drink it neat over ice.

   

                                                    Vermouth
    Vermouth is an Amaro made using a fortified wine base and flavoured with herbs, spices and other aromatics. Originally used for medicinal purposes, it is as an aperitif in Italy where its popularity began.
    Vermouth is a component of some of the best known cocktails in the world including the Martini, the Manhattan and of course the Negroni. Historically coming in two differing styles of White (also known as Dry or French) and Red (also referred to as Sweet or Italian). Today there are a number of newer styles available.
    Unlike the drier Martini, it is the sweet red Vermouth that is used in a Negroni. The sweetness of the Vermouth offers the counter point to the bitterness of the Campari.

                                                                           Gin
    Gin is where the real variety comes into a Negroni. The past decade has seen a real resurgence in Gin and as such the varieties available are numerous and varied. Gin is a distilled spirit made typically with Juniper berries as the most pronounced aromatic, but utilizing many others as well.
    With the current popularity of Gin, we have seen an ever expanding array of Gin styles and flavours. As such, changing which Gin you use in your Negroni can vastly alter the flavour profile.

    The recipe itself could not be any simpler. Combine 30ml of Campari, 30ml of Gin and 30ml of Sweet Red Vermouth either in a shaker with ice or a muddling jug with ice. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass ( or your glass of choice) with ice and garnish with a slice of Orange or a twist of Zest.
    Like many cocktails, there is much argument over whether a Negroni should be shaken in a cocktail shaker or mixed in a jug. I myself tend to use a shaker.
    Personally my go to ingredients are Cinzano Rosso Vermouth, Tanqueray London Dry Gin and Campari and a twist of orange zest. To add extra aroma and flavour, I like to twist and therefore bruise the orange zest, thus releasing the volatile oils, then rub the zest around the rim of the glass before putting it in the drink.

    One of the great things about this type of cocktail is that you can make it premixed. Whether you plan on offer a welcoming Negroni to your guests or simply have it ready to go for your own enjoyment, premixing is simple.
    To do so, buy equal sized bottles ( making sure that they are genuinely equal and not say 700ml, 700ml and 750ml). Then mix all together and using a funnel pour them back into the three bottles. When it is time to serve, just pour over ice and garnish.

    Cheers! I hope to see you at a Negroni Week event next week or in future years.

    So to start with, I need to make it clear that this is very much an opinion piece and as such it is my interpretation of the subject. I say this, as the Feminist movement throughout history has contained numerous factions and all with differing agendas and approaches.
            What is a Feminist?
    In its simplest form, Feminism is a belief that the binary genders of Male and Female are equal. The Feminist movement is about realigning the imbalances that were created from our history of being a Patriarchal society.
    In essence, equal rights! Rights such as the right to vote, the right to equal pay and the right to not be portrayed as a weaker, one dimensional and less capable gender.

           Can a Male Feminist exist?
    Well this really depends on just who you talk to. There are those who believe that any man who is a supporter of Feminism is just that, a supporter and cannot lay claim to being a Feminist.  The belief is that without the personal experiences unique to women, someone cannot be part of the Feminist movement.
    Another view an one that I subscribe to ( albeit as a male) is that anyone who supports and believes in the concept of gender equality and equal rights for women should be able to be termed a Feminist.
    So from my perspective anyone, male, female or non-binary can lay claim to being a feminist, provided they genuinely believe and support the fundamental ideals of the movement.

            So what then are my beliefs on Feminism?
    Personally I believe that Women should have no more or less rights than their male counterparts. I strongly believe that the world will be a far better place with total equality across the genders.
    This means equal representation across all areas of society and most notably in positions of power such as Government. It also means equal pay for equal jobs as well as access to those equal jobs.
    On top of this, my ideal would see a more varied portrayal of women in the media, one that reflects society as a whole.

            Does this make me a Feminist?
    Well the answer to this is actually both yes and no. Whilst obviously I do strongly believe in equality between men and women and as such ally myself with feminist principles.
    I cannot call myself a Feminist. This is not due the fact I am male, nor is it in response to some of the more radical factions within the movement. Rather it is simply because to call my self a Feminist would be too restricting of my social beliefs and conscience.
    Instead of calling myself a Feminist if pressed to categorize myself, I would call myself an Equalist. You see my belief in equality goes beyond that of women's rights and includes everyone.
    As a Father of a gay Transgender teen (about which I have written in my post Goodbye Daughter , Hello Trans Son), how could I not be as strongly supportive of LGBTIQ rights as I am of women's rights? As a Man, I hate to see men on the receiving end of gender inequality ( Although rarer, this does exist)
    My beliefs are to fight against any form of inequality and prejudice, be that based on binary or non-binary gender, race, skin colour, religion and others.

          I am an Equalist and I am Proud of it
    The people I admire the most are those who are actively fighting against inequality and prejudism.  People such as the worlds first Plus Sized Supermodel Tess Holliday who has created the #effyourbeautystandards movement. A movement about body acceptance of all (Fat, Thin, Disfigured, Hirsute, short , Tall etc)

    So whilst I clearly believe that I have the right to call myself a Feminist I choose not to do so and call myself and Equalist instead. There are bigger things to worry about than belonging to a group that feels itself to be superior to others.