When inventing cocktails, Principle Food & Drink looks toward the classics as a guiding light, according to Bar Manager Dan Reinisch. For The Siciliano, the Kalamazoo restaurant and cocktail specialists started with a classic Negroni: gin, Campari and vermouth rosso.
Reinisch said Principle’s twist on the drink starts with Beefeater gin, thanks to its dry nature that will cut through the syrup and sweetness of the other ingredients while not giving an excessive amount of character like other gins might (i.e. Bombay Sapphire).
Then comes the Campari, a classic bitter orange liqueur from Italy, lending brightness, bitterness and a little bit of sweetness. Along with that is the Dolin Rouge, a French red vermouth that “lends a little bit of florality but doesn’t make the body too thick or rich,” Reinisch said.
The rest of the recipe derives inspiration from the Negroni Slushies at Parson’s Chicken & Fish in Chicago. They’re “basically the most refreshing, delicious thing in the world,” Reinisch said.
To emulate that, Principle adds some blood orange juice, which doubles down on the Campari flavor, and then a bit of lemon juice to add acidity and simple syrup to balance everything out.
To top it all off, The Siciliano is garnished with a dehydrated grapefruit wheel in a large coupe glass. It’s meant to be drunk quickly, which shouldn’t be a problem for anyone.
Ingredients
1.5 oz. Beefeater Gin
1 oz. Dolin Rouge
0.5 oz. Campari
0.5 oz. blood orange juice
0.5 oz. lemon juice
0.5 oz. simple syrup
Pour into a shaker, in this order: the simple syrup, lemon juice, blood orange juice, Campari, Doulin Rouge and Beefeater. Throw some ice in the shaker, give it a hefty rattle (about 10 to 12 seconds) and then strain into a coupe glass. The drink doesn’t need more ice in the glass — it’s perfect as is. If you happen to have a dehydrated grapefruit wheel on hand, go for it, but don’t stress too much. Finally: head to the porch, get situated in your old rocking chair and sip away.
Principle Food & Drink is located at 230 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo. principlekzoo.com, (269) 743-6563
Watch the video tutorial below:
