How to Make Negronis for a Crowd

How to Make Negronis for a Crowd

HOSTED | By Ink – Italian Dinner Party Edition

The Negroni is a classic for a reason. Strong, stylish, and bitter in the best possible way. It tastes great, looks cool, and makes you feel like you’ve got your life together — even if you definitely don’t.

And when you’re hosting? Even better. Negronis are made to be pre-batched. No shaking, no muddling — just pour and serve.

The Classic Ratio

The beauty of the Negroni is its simplicity. Equal parts:

– Ink Gin
– Campari
– Sweet (red) vermouth

For one serve:
30ml of each. Stir over ice until chilled, strain into a short glass with fresh ice, garnish with orange. Done.

How to Batch Negronis

Hosting a dinner party? Save yourself the faff and mix them ahead of time in a jug, bottle or carafe.

Hosting tip: For bonus style points, decant into a vintage crystal decanter (check your local op shop). Sit it in a bucket of ice and let guests help themselves. It’s very nonna-but-make-it-chic.

Optional: Pre-dilute to Save Time

Negronis are strong, so they’re usually stirred over ice to add a little dilution. But when batching, you can do that step ahead of time.

Add 10–15% cold water to your batch so all you need to do is pour over ice and garnish.

Important: If you pre-dilute, keep the batch as cold as possible — in the fridge, freezer, or on ice — so it stays fresh and balanced.

Batching Cheat Sheet (Equal Parts)

Serves

Ink Gin

Campari

Sweet Vermouth

Optional Water (10–15%)

2

60ml

60ml

60ml

~20ml

4

120ml

120ml

120ml

~40ml

6

180ml

180ml

180ml

~60ml

8

240ml

240ml

240ml

~80ml

10

300ml

300ml

300ml

~100ml


Batching a Full Bottle

Go big or go home, right?
If you’re using a full bottle of Ink Gin, here’s how that scales:

Bottle Size

Ink Gin

Campari

Sweet Vermouth

Optional Water (10–15%)

Approx. Serves

700ml

700ml

700ml

700ml

210–315ml

23–25 drinks

1L

1000ml

1000ml

1000ml

300–450ml

33–35 drinks

 

How to Serve

If pre-diluted:
Pour roughly 90ml straight from the decanter over fresh ice in a short glass. Garnish with an orange twist. 

If not pre-diluted:
Measure 90ml / serve into mixing glass filled with ice - don't do more than 3 serves per glass. Stir down well to chill and dilute, then strain into short glasses with fresh ice. Garnish with an orange twist. 

Either way — no shaking, no stress.

Negronis are the ultimate host hack: bold, balanced, and ready when you are.

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