05

Roundbuilding
Negroni
OVERVIEW

Building on top of the previ-

ous roundbuilder videos we
see how to make four drinks
of different methods. Taking
dilution into consideration
KEY POINTS
Try to think about getting bottle work done for all
drinks before adding ice to anything, this gives
you less to do after the ice clock starts ticking.
Certain bottles have to wait until after ice, like
floats, tops, fills and sodas this is unavoidable
and totally fine.
HACKS
The Negroni can also be thrown (as seen with
the bloody mary) or even built but when built it
takes a little time before the ideal level of dilu-
tion is reached and it can then be over-diluted
soon after.

The negroni can be served over ice or straight up

French Martini we make the drinks that Try not to make any unnecessary movements,
things like icing up two glasses at the same time (no ice) in a coupe glass.
Moscow Mule take the longest and dilute
the slowest first and then can save you valuable minutes. It all adds up.
Mojito The Negroni is often 3cl of each ingredient, this
move down the list.
Any drinks with pineapple juice like the French of course doesn’t change anything except the
Martini will benefit from a harder shake than size (and cost). This depends on country and
usual because pineapple juice aerates well and house style.
takes on a velvety texture after a hard shake.
The raspberry for a French Martini could also be
I show the single handed fine strain technique so served on a flat sided cocktail stick across the
you can see the possibility but be aware that it is top of the glass, this allows the guest to eat it
not always appropriate or the most efficient.
more easily.
The churn for a mojito is often where bartenders
underdo it. To really integrate the flavours and Traditionally a Moscow Mule is served in a cop-
get the mint to shine through be aggressive and per mug, this is a really nice effect so if you serve
take some extra time. a lot it’s advisable to make this upgrade.

The soda can be added after all the ice but this When making a Moscow Mule (or any built drink)
causes the peak of crushed ice to drop a little, if on its own add ice as soon as you pick up the
you’re comfortable with how much to use, add glass to avoid double handling.
the soda and the straw before the ‘ice cap’

The mint sprigs in the video have suffered from

studio lighting a little but if you keep them in a
little water on the bar top they will last a day.
Overnight they last best in the fridge with a wet
napkin to cover them.

Always avoid muddling anything when there is

alcohol in the glass, firstly because it is harder to
wash the flavour off the muddler and secondly
because it is a waste of good booze.

EUROPEAN BARTENDER SCHOOL - WWW.BARSCHOOL.NET

05
Roundbuilding
Negroni
INGREDIENTS
Vermouth

Vermouth falls in the category of fortified wine.

Fortified wines are wines that have been made
stronger in alcohol by adding some distilled
spirit. Vermouth is usually 16-22% ABV and as
well as added alcohol will have extra flavours
Campari

This iconic Amaro is probably Italy’s most global-

ly famous liqueur. It shares similarities with Ap-
erol but is notably stronger in alcohol and more
bitter. It owes much of it’s early success to the
series of artistic marketing posters it produced,
French Martini gained from macerating the liquid in herbs and the first of which appeared in 1889.
Moscow Mule spices. One such botanical and the only one
required by law is also where vermouth gets Campari are still producing posters in the same
Mojito it’s name – wormwood. The German word for style and early originals are highly collectable.
wormwood is ‘wermut’, so that’s Absinthe and Campari is most famous for it’s appearance in
Vermouth that owe their name to this influential the Negroni and variants of the Negroni like the
little botanical. Sbagliato and Americano but it is also just gener-
ally a bartender’s favourite.
Vermouth comes in two main sub-categories
(although more have been emerging in recent
years) ‘Dry’ and ‘Sweet’. Traditionally dry ver-
mouth comes from France and has less sugar
which is what we mean by ‘dry’ when referring
to drinks. Sweet vermouth traditionally comes
from Italy and is more robust and sweet. In to-
days global economy however the lines just
aren’t that clear and there are great vermouths
of every type coming from all over the world.

Vermouth can be found in many stirred drinks

as it is exceptional at softening and compliment-
ing strong spirits, many classic drinks from the
late 1800’s to the early 1900’s contain vermouth,
perhaps most notably from this period come the
Martini, Manhattan and Martinez.

EUROPEAN BARTENDER SCHOOL - WWW.BARSCHOOL.NET

05
Roundbuilding
Negroni
French Martini
Moscow Mule
Mojito
Created in Florence, Italy and named after Count Camillo
Negroni in the 1920’s. The story goes that the count was
a usual Americano drinker (Campari, Sweet Vermouth and
soda) but one day, after something a bit stronger asked for
the soda to be replaced by gin.

RECIPE
GLASS: Rocks METHOD: Stir & Julep strain
ICE: One big cube GARNISH: Orange zest
INGREDIENTS CL ML OZ
Gin 2 20 3/4
Campari 2 20 3/4
Vermouth 2 20 3/4

EUROPEAN BARTENDER SCHOOL - WWW.BARSCHOOL.NET

05
Roundbuilding
Negroni
French Martini
French Martini Invented in New York in the late 1980’s this simple
Moscow Mule people pleaser of a drink is named like many drinks of
Mojito this period were. While in the 1880’s the Martini and its
relatives all had vermouth in them, by the 1980’s any-
thing served in a V-shaped glass was eligible to have
the word martini thrown on the end (e.g Apple Martini
and Espresso Martini). The ‘French’ in this case refers
to the origin of the liqueur, simple as that.

This drink may not be the most complex or technical-

ly brilliant but it is also very rarely spat out in disgust.
I defy you to find me a 21-year old birthday girl who
isn’t delighted with an unexpected French Martini on
the house.

RECIPE
GLASS: Chilled Martini / Cupe METHOD: Shake & Fine strain
ICE: None GARNISH: Raspberry
INGREDIENTS CL ML OZ
Vodka 4 40 1 1/2
Chambord 2 20 3/4
Pineapple juice 4 40 1 1/2

EUROPEAN BARTENDER SCHOOL - WWW.BARSCHOOL.NET

05
Roundbuilding
Negroni
MOSCOW mule
French Martini
Moscow Mule You could argue that no other drink has promoted an entire spirit
category more than the Moscow Mule, the closest contender perhaps
Mojito being the driving force of the Margarita for Tequila. In the early 1940’s
John Martin was trying to break the American market with his recently
acquired and then little known brand, Smirnoff.

He teamed up with two friends, a ginger beer producer and a copper

mug manufacturer and the Moscow mule was born along with probably
the most successful signature serve campaign in history. It’s fair to say
that before the Moscow Mule, vodka in America was a fairly obscure
spirit.

RECIPE
GLASS: Highball METHOD: Build
ICE: Cubed GARNISH: Lime wedge
INGREDIENTS CL ML OZ
Vodka 4 40 1 1/2
Fresh lime juice 2 20 3/4
Ginger Beer ----------------- Fill -----------------

EUROPEAN BARTENDER SCHOOL - WWW.BARSCHOOL.NET

05
Roundbuilding
Negroni
Mojito
The Mojito is another one of those cocktails in which the
recipe pre-dates the name and seems to be an evolu-
tionary concoction rather than some eureka moment.
French Martini Due to its similarity it shares some of w history with the
Moscow Mule Daiquiri, there are snippets of evidence appearing in
Mojito 16th century Cuba of a drink called ‘Drake’ consisting
of Aguardiente (a sugar cane spirit similar to rum), lime,
sugar and mint.

As Rum took the place of aguardiente in the drink and

on the market in general the story goes that the name
was changed to the Mojito. The invention of the Mojito
is often credited to a bar in Havana called La Bodegui-
ta. While there is little evidence for this being the birth-
place, it seems likely that they at least help popularise it
in the early 1900s

RECIPE
GLASS: Highball METHOD: Muddle, bash, build & churn
ICE: Crushed GARNISH: Mint sprig
INGREDIENTS CL ML OZ
Lime wedges ------------ 4 wedges ------------
Sugar syrup 2 20 1/2
Mint leaves ------------ 8-12 leaves ------------
Light rum 6 60 2
Soda water ----------- Top ------------

EUROPEAN BARTENDER SCHOOL - WWW.BARSCHOOL.NET