The Enzoni is a modern cocktail that sits somewhere between a sour and a Negroni. It combines bitterness, citrus, fruit, and botanicals in perfect balance. The cocktail was created by Vincenzo Errico while working at Match Bar in London during 2001. It quickly became one of the earliest champions of the bittersweet cocktail movement.
The recipe combines gin, Campari, lemon juice, sugar, and fresh grapes. The ingredients may seem simple, but they create remarkable depth and complexity.
Fresh grapes contribute gentle sweetness and juicy fruit character. They soften Campari's bitterness without masking its distinctive flavour. When combined with lemon juice, the grapes develop flavours similar to pink grapefruit. This natural citrus profile works beautifully alongside Campari's bitter orange notes.
Great Bustard Gin adds further complexity. Its carefully selected botanicals provide structure and aromatic depth throughout the drink.
The result is bright, refreshing, and wonderfully balanced. Citrus freshness leads the palate before giving way to fruit, bitterness, and lingering botanical notes.
Unlike a traditional Negroni, the Enzoni feels lighter and more approachable. Yet it retains enough bitterness to satisfy lovers of classic aperitif cocktails.
More than twenty years after its creation, the Enzoni remains a modern classic. It continues to demonstrate how fruit, citrus, and bitterness can work together beautifully when balanced with care.
Ease of Making: Easy.
Glass Type: Rocks Glass.
Taste: Citrus notes with light sweet bitterness, after all this is a Negroni.
Original Recipe:
- 5 green grapes.
- 30 ml Great Bustard Gin.
- 30 ml Campari.
- 20 ml fresh lemon juice.
- 15 ml simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water ratio).
- Ice cubes.
Method:
- In a cocktail shaker, add the green grapes and muddle them until crushed.
- Add gin, Campari, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup into the shaker.
- Fill the shaker with ice and shake well until the mixture is well-chilled.
- Strain the mixture into a rocks glass filled with ice.
- Garnish with either an orange or lemon twist.
