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Bitter Widow Recipe
Bitter Widow
Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: Under 5 mins | Makes: 1 drink

Salt House, a great urban tavern in San Francisco, sometimes serves a cocktail called the Bitter Widow (really just a Negroni, with vodka standing in for the gin). It tastes great, and with its festive color and suitableness for mixing in large batches it’s a shoo-in for a cocktail party. Keep it in pitchers for your guests to pour over ice.

Game plan: The Campari, vermouth, and vodka can be combined ahead of time and kept covered in the refrigerator. Pour over ice and garnish to serve.

This recipe was featured as part of our Nibbles and Sips menu.

INGREDIENTS
  • 3/4 ounce Campari
  • 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
  • 3/4 ounce vodka
  • Ice
  • Orange twist, for garnish (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Combine the Campari, vermouth, and vodka in a cocktail shaker and stir.
  2. Pour over ice into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist, if desired.
    Write a review | 11 Reviews

  • I think the widow is bitter because someone took the gin away.

  • This is really a modified Negroni, I got excited until I realized I had been drinking this with gin instead of vodka. Well, I suppose there is nothing wrong with variation to expand the world of cocktail lore and trivia.

  • I sometimes drink a Campari and soda after a too big or rich dinner as a digestif. I think it helps settle my stomach.

    I love the name "Bitter Widow"

  • Since it's called a "Bitter Widow" and not a "Gin Negroni" I don't really see what the fuss is about.

    dhchait, to be fair the vermouth is pretty sweet so that takes the edge off the bitterness but if you really hate Campari then you are probably right that you wouldn't like this.

    Regarding pitcher-friendly cocktails, I think most ice-friendly drinks that don't use carbonated or creamy ingredients would probably work well enough. I know it is very simple but a pitcher of screwdrivers or greyhounds made with fresh-squeezed juice is very good. The squeezing takes some effort but it makes for a pitcher of cocktails that is better than many much more complicated concoctions.

  • If you don't like Campari this is clearly not the drink for you, nor is a true Negroni (which, I agree, should be made with gin). However, I wouldn't refer to this as a "gutless Negroni." It is a different drink that shares two of three Negroni components. Just don't call it a Negroni.

  • Fist the bastardized martini and now a gutless Negroni. A Negroni is made with GIN. Pure and simple. Nothing else will do. I don't care if you tart it up with Aperol instead of Campari or Cynar or any of a million other bitters. But if it ain't got Gin in it, don't dare even breathing the word Negroni. It simply isn't worthy! Count Negroni is surely rolling over in his grave!

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negroni

  • I love the idea of a cocktail I can make in a batch & put out in a pitcher... but I cannot abide Campari. Awful stuff, like the bitterest thing I've ever had.

    Any alternate cocktail suggestions?

  • Haven't tried it but note on the silly tv show "Men in Trees" whatshername, the main character gal, ordered a vodka Negroni in the first episode. I would think using vodka rather than gin would lose something since gin has an aromaticity to it that vodka doesn't have. Will give it a try though.

  • holy crap this thing is bitter!!

  • Davina, i love aperol. i think i will try this with that.

  • I love this drink. Sometimes I use Aperol instead of Campari, which is less bitter, more orangey.

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