With Negroni week almost here, and to celebrate the first official day of Summer, I decided to combine my two loves into one glass. As obsessed as I am with Mangoes, I realized I didn’t have a ton of recipes using this tropical fruit. Well that’s all changing with this bitter, refreshing, tropical mix!
During the Christmas Holidays, I threw together a Negroni in a very unique fashion by serving it over crushed ice. It was a game changer for me, that brought this classic cocktail into a new pair of shoes. It kept things light and refreshing, and you can skip the stirring method all together. I knew I wanted to use this technique once more, and what better way to welcome some beautiful summer weather with this refreshing take.
I decided to keep this cocktail simple and approachable, with no infusions necessary or special syrups. But as always, there’s a twist. I’ve been missing some agave in my life, so I decided to mix with a Reposado Tequila (Tromba, of course), a touch of Mezcal, with Campari and Sweet Vermouth. I debated whether I’d go lighter with the spirits, for example Aperol over Campari and a Blanco tequila over Reposado. But since this cocktail is served over crushed ice, the spirits that tend to be “loud” in flavour, are softened by the crushed ice.
Mango was an obvious choice here with the agave spirits. I’m pretty sure I read this in the “What to Drink with What you Eat” book and they state the general rule of thumb that what grows together, pairs together. Plus I love my Mango with a dash of Thyme, and since I still had a ton left of the Lemon Thyme, I had to add it to the mix! If you don’t have lemon thyme around, regular thyme will do just fine, just cut it by 1/3 because I find the lemon thyme to be a lot more delicate on the palate, while regular thyme is aggressive.
Cheers to what will hopefully be a long, hot, beautiful summer for my fellow Canadians!
Summer Thyme Mango Negroni
A refreshing Summer Negroni infusing Mango, Lemon Thyme and Agave spirits!
– Difficulty: Intermediate
Ingredients
- 1.25 oz Reposado Tequila Tromba used here
- 1 dash Mezcal Del Maguey Used Here
- 2/3 oz Campari
- 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth Antica Formula used here
- 2 slices Fresh Mango ripe
- 3 sprigs Lemon Thyme
Instructions
Prep your glass by rinsing the inside with a dash of mezcal (approximately 1/4 oz), followed by adding crushed ice
In a shaker, muddle 1 slice of Mango and 2 springs Lemon Thyme to a pulp.
Add the Reposado Tequila, Campari and Sweet Vermouth, fill the shaker with just a couple ice cubes and give this a short shake.
Strain over your prepped glassware and crushed ice. Garnish with remaining Mango and Lemon Thyme
