How we came up with our Juhua Rosemary Wood-Smoked Negroni

How we came up with our Juhua Rosemary Wood-Smoked Negroni

An Asian twist is woven into this classic cocktail mainstay, giving our Juhua Rosemary Wood-Smoked Negroni a refreshing yet mysterious character hint.

Juhua Rosemary Wood-Smoked Negroni

Our Master Mixologist, Mark Tay, created a new Negroni for this year's Negroni Week so we sat down with him to chat about the Negroni and how he came up with it.

DOOR XXV Master Mixologist Mark Tay

Hi Mark, thanks for joining us today! So first, tell us more about this new Negroni you developed.

Mark: No problem! For the Juhua Rosemary Wood-Smoked Negroni, Chrysanthemum is steeped with Roku Gin, then balanced against Campari, and a bright Fino Sherry. The concoction is then smoked over charred Spanish Oak and Rosemary for a tiered flavour experience.

So you can expect hints of citrus bitter-sweetness alongside fragrant floral tones of Chrysanthemum, which lead to a smoky herbal finish.

 

That's very cool. We noticed a diverse range of elements in this Negroni that's pretty unconventional. What was the inspiration behind combining these ingredients?

Mark: It's Negroni Week and I always try to do something during this period. I also wanted something that's synonymous with Asia and our cultural roots, plus it's been really hot lately, so Chrysanthemum came to mind.

To balance the natural sweetness of Chrysanthemum and the bitter-sweet notes of Campari, I decided that a fragrant Fino Sherry may be the best cut and bridge.

The rest was all about balancing the flavours.

 

DOOR XXV Smoky Boulevard

When we tried it, the smoky flavour really stood out and it's a pretty novel experience, especially from what we're used to in Negronis. How did you come up with the idea of smoking it?

Mark: Negronis aren't usually smoked but I wanted to do a combination with our Smoky Boulevard. Smoking the Negroni gives its flavour an additional depth and also stimulates the palate. What you want to do is give the drink a subtle hint of smokiness without being overpowering.

 

These were really great insights. Thank you again for breaking down how you concocted the Juhua Rosemary Wood-Smoked Negroni. We really enjoyed this chance to get a better look into your drink-making process.

 

From now till 10 October 2021, enjoy 10% off any 2 Negronis in our Negroni Week Collection here.

Don't worry if you missed our Negroni Week promotion, you can still enjoy our Classic Negroni and Smoky Boulevard at outDOOR XXV.

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