The Edit

A smoky Mexican-inspired Negroni cocktail recipe by Hotel Eden

Hotel Eden
To celebrate Negroni Week at Hotel Eden, we stopped by Il Giardino Bar to find out what our head bartender, Flavio Specchioli, has created specially for the occasion. Behold ‘The Fifth Flame’, a smoky serve that brings a touch of Mexico to Rome, and to your next aperitif.

At Il Giardino Bar, we appreciate a great Negroni. Beautifully balanced, bitter and sweet, the Italian classic is a staple on our drinks menu, but sometimes we like to add a unique twist to the timeless tipple.

Enter ‘The Fifth Flame’, a mezcal-infused Negroni featuring an aromatic amaretti vermouth balanced with a few drops of saline and a BBQ-smoked salt rim. The result is a fiery, fresh drink straight from our rooftop bar to yours…

The Fifth Flame Negroni

Serves one

Ingredients:

  • 22.5ml Volcan de mi Terra Cristalino tequila

  • 22.5ml 400 Conejos Espadín mezcal

  • 30ml Mancino Secco vermouth, infused with amaretti (see method)

  • 3 drops of 10% saline solution (1 part salt to 9 parts water)

  • BBQ-smoked salt, to garnish

Method:

First, make the amaretti-infused vermouth. Lightly break the amaretti biscuits and combine with the vermouth in a clean glass jar. Seal and leave for 2 to 4 hours or until it has reached the desired almondy flavour profile. Fine-strain and store in the refrigerator.

To make the drink, fill a Boston shaker with ice, pour in the tequila, mezcal, vermouth and saline solution and top with a Hawthorne strainer.

Transfer the cocktail between the two tins of the Boston shaker using a controlled pouring motion, repeating the process several times. This ‘throwing’ technique chills and dilutes the cocktail while gently aerating the mixture for a lighter, aromatic drink.

Lightly salt the side of a double coupe Martini glass with the BBQ-smoked salt.

Strain the Negroni into the chilled glass and enjoy immediately.



See Flavio at work on our Instagram