If you love a classic Negroni but fancy something a little different, meet your new favourite aperitivo. The Pickled Beetroot Negroni combines the familiar bittersweet character of a Negroni with earthy beetroot and a sharp, tangy finish from pickled beetroot brine.
Earthy, pickled and perfectly bittersweet.
Pickled Beetroot Negroni Recipe
Serves: 1
Prep time: 5 minutes, plus 1 day or longer for pickling if you're making your own brine.
Ingredients
- 25ml 58 and CO London Dry Gin
- 25ml 58 and CO British Red Bitter
- 25ml 58 and CO Bianco Vermouth
- 15ml pickled beetroot brine - homemade or shop-bought
- 1 slice of pickled beetroot, to garnish
Method
- Add the London Dry Gin, Red Bitter, Bianco Vermouth and pickled beetroot brine to a mixing glass filled with ice.
- Give the cocktail a short stir to chill the ingredients while retaining a little more body.
- Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with a slice of pickled beetroot. Serve immediately.
The secret to a balanced Beetroot Negroni? Start with good-quality ingredients and taste your beetroot brine before adding it. Pickling liquids vary in acidity and saltiness, so you may want to adjust the quantity slightly to suit your palate.
How to Make Quick Pickled Beetroot
Homemade pickled beetroot is an easy way to add earthy sweetness and bright acidity to cocktails. In this recipe, fresh beetroot is blended with water to create a vibrant base, then combined with white wine vinegar and salt for a simple, tangy pickle.
Use the resulting brine in your Beetroot Negroni, and save the sliced beetroot for garnishing cocktails or serving alongside food, or as a delicious snack!
Ingredients
- 4 beetroot
- 100ml water
- 125ml white wine vinegar
- 1 pinch of salt
Method
- Blend the beetroot. Peel and roughly chop 2 beetroot. Blend with 100ml water until smooth, then strain through a fine sieve to extract the liquid.
- Make the pickling liquor. Stir the white wine vinegar and a pinch of salt into the strained beetroot liquid.
- Prepare the remaining beetroot. Peel and thinly slice the other 2 beetroot, then place them in a clean jar suitable for refrigeration.
- Add the liquid. Pour the beetroot pickling liquor over the sliced beetroot, ensuring the slices are covered.
- Leave to pickle. Seal the jar and refrigerate for at least 1 day, or longer for a more developed flavour.
Keep the pickled beetroot refrigerated - this is a quick refrigerator pickle, not a shelf-stable preserve.
What Is a Beetroot Negroni?
A Beetroot Negroni is a variation on the classic Negroni that introduces beetroot for an earthy, subtly sweet and savoury flavour. Traditional Negronis combine gin, bitter and vermouth in equal parts. This version keeps that familiar balance while adding pickled beetroot brine for extra acidity and depth.
The result is a bittersweet gin cocktail with a more savoury edge. The beetroot complements the herbal and bitter notes of the spirits, while the vinegar in the brine brings a bright, tangy finish.
What Does a Pickled Beetroot Negroni Taste Like?
Expect an earthy, bittersweet cocktail with a tangy finish. The London Dry Gin brings botanical structure, British Red Bitter adds bitter orange and herbal notes, and Bianco Vermouth contributes sweetness and balance.
It's a great choice for fans of bitter aperitivo cocktails, savoury gin drinks and modern twists on classic Negroni recipes.
Which Gin Is Best for a Negroni?
A London Dry Gin is a classic choice for a Negroni because its juniper-led botanicals stand up well to bitter and vermouth. For this Pickled Beetroot Negroni, 58 and CO London Dry Gin provides the botanical backbone, balancing the earthy beetroot brine and the bittersweet character of the other ingredients.
