Head Bartender Francesco Marone loves nothing more than sharing his art and passion.
If you’re feeling bold, why not try this seasonal beauty from our current bar list, carefully adapted for home mixologists.
FIG ON THE ROCKS
Difficulty > Intermediate
You will need:
- 30ml Mermaid Gin
- 30ml Fig-infused Campari
- 25ml Cocchi Storico red vermouth
- 5ml Prosecco reduction
We chose Mermaid Gin for its sweet and earthy botanicals – rock samphire, elderflower, liquorice, coriander and grains of paradise – but any gin with a similar flavour profile could be used.
First, we need to infuse the Campari with sweet fig flavour.
Fig infused Campari
We recommend soft dried figs for this process – you can use fresh figs, but they may release extra juice and water which can unbalance the preparation.
In a sealable plastic bag pour 200ml of Campari and 80grams of chopped dried figs, seal the bag and leave in a hot water bath for 30 minutes. Then, remove from the hot water and leave to rest in the fridge overnight (or about 8 hours). Strain the liquid through a cheese cloth or paper filter, and bottle.
Tip – the leftover figs make a fabulous boozy snack to go with your cocktail!
While you’re waiting on the Campari, you can prepare the Prosecco reduction…
Prosecco reduction
Don’t worry you won’t need a whole bottle. But it is a wonderful excuse to open one!
We’d suggest using a pyrex jug or a vessel that can handle boiling hot liquids. Pour 100ml of Prosecco (make sure to wait for the foam to fade away before measuring) and set aside.
Pour your 100ml of Prosecco into a saucepan and heat until boiling.
We want to achieve a 30% reduction, so keep boiling until your 100ml has reduced to around 70ml – you can check this by periodically pouring the liquid back into your measuring jug, returning it to the heat until you’ve achieved 70ml. Be careful!
Let it cool down, refrigerate if necessary, and bottle it up.
You’re now ready to blend all the ingredients together and enjoy this fruity twist on a Negroni.
Blend the two liquids in a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice, stirring until chilled, then strain into a rocks glass and serve with a big ice cube.
Sante!
