Vigoroso

Another Negroni-style cocktail. It seems like there's no end to them. And thank goodness, I say! It is true that some of these variations taste alike, or at least so similar that it's hard to tell the difference between one and the other. Fortunately the "Vigoroso" does taste substantialy different, thanks to the barrel-aged Genever. Otherwise, it would be another same old same old.

When I considered the ingredients of the posted recipe, I thought the cocktail would be too sweet. With that in mind, I made a major change that resulted in a more balanced tasting cocktail. The change was to measure 1/3 oz of Aperol, and then add enough Campari to bring the mixture up to the 3/4 oz mark. The Campari added a much needed bitterness to bring a balance to the drink. The minor change had to do with the orange bitters. Instead of Regans' #6, I used Fee Bros gin barrel-aged orange bitters. I believe it was this year that Fee Bros put this product on the market. Its orange flavor is akin to Angustora orange bitters, which has a poignant but natural tasting orange flavor. Prior to the introduction of their gin barrel-aged orange bitter, the only orange bitters Fee Bros sold was its West Indies orange bitters, with an orange flavor that is subtle and somewhat sweet.

All in all, the Vigoroso is worth trying. If you think the posted recipe will be too sweet, or you find that it IS too sweet, add some Campari. But whether you use the posted recipe, or modify it, I believe you'll enjoy this Negroni-style cocktail. I rated the modified recipe at 4.0. Sometime soon, I'll try the recipe unchanged to see what I think of it. Who knows? It may be as good or better unmodified.