The Wildflower Negroni
A flower wreath for summer celebrations is meant to symbolize rebirth and the abundance of the earth after the long Nordic winter. The solstice is also a time to gather medicinal herbs, notably St. John’s wort, which has yellow blossoms that evoke the summer sun.
The Wildflower Negroni, a riff on the classic White Negroni, makes the most of flowers and herbs, as it gilds the botanicals found in gin with a quick tea-based infusion. A version of the drink appears in Spirit of the North, a Scandinavian-inspired cocktail book written by Danish native Selma Slabiak, a bartender in Queens, New York. She recommends a gin that has floral notes like the rose petal-infused Dorothy Parker Gin.
Adapted from Spirit of the North: Cocktail Recipes and Stories from Scandinavia (teNeues Publishing Company, 2018), by Selma Slabiak
- 1½ ounces wildflower-infused gin*
- 1 ounce Cocchi Americano
- ½ ounce Salers Apéritif (or in a pinch, dry vermouth)
- Edible flower, for garnish (can be frozen into ice cube)
In mixing glass, stir all ingredients, except garnish, with ice. Strain into rocks glass over single large ice cube. Garnish with edible flower.
Immerse 2 bags herbal tea (preferably a blend that features flowers like jasmine, lavender, hibiscus, rose or chamomile) in ½ cup hot water for 10–15 seconds. Remove tea bags, squeeze gently to release excess water, then place bags in 1 cup gin. Let steep for 10 minutes. Remove tea bags, and squeeze gently to release excess gin. In airtight container, this will keep indefinitely. Makes about 8 ounces.
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