Bitter Bianco Negroni Sbagliato

This post is sponsored by Luxardo. All opinions are my own. You can learn more about Luxardo here.

Summer is in full swing, beautifully ripe botanical ingredients are abundant, and the days are long and warm.

I love this time of year, when happy hour means lounging in an Adirondack chair on the back patio, enjoying the mountain breeze and sipping on something refreshing.

My favorite type of cocktail to mix up on these hot and hazy days are tall and refreshingly bittersweet. My husband and I love gin and tonics, but lately I’ve been experimenting more with other bitter flavors and liqueurs, and one of my favorites is Luxardo’s Bitter Bianco.

A clear bitter liqueur

Bitter Bianco is a clear, citrusy bitter liqueur with a pleasant, lingering bitterness. It’s light and very smooth, with notes of sweet and bitter oranges, making it a dream to mix with, and perfectly suited to summer cocktails.

Bitter Bianco is great on the rocks, in a spritz, subbed for Campari in many classic recipes, and perhaps most popularly, in place of gentian-forward bitter liqueurs in the modern classic, the White Negroni.

I love a White Negroni made with equal parts Bitter Bianco, London dry gin, and bianco vermouth, but when it’s super hot outside, I crave something a little lighter, preferably with bubbles.

A lighter Negroni with sparkling wine in place of gin

Enter the Negroni Sbagliato, a Negroni variation replacing gin with sparkling wine. This wonderfully bittersweet cocktail is perfect with a little bruschetta for an Italian-themed happy hour, and when made with Bitter Bianco and bianco vermouth, it’s beautifully crystal clear!

I made a citric acid solution to add a hint of bright, lemony acidity without compromising the clarity of the drink. Citric acid powder can be purchased from many supermarkets, specialty grocers, or online.

Bianco Negroni Sbagliato

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Luxardo Bitter Bianco

• 1 oz sweet white vermouth of choice

• 2 barspoons citric acid solution* (optional)

• 2 oz prosecco

Instructions:

Fill a tall glass with ice. Add Bitter Bianco, vermouth, citric acid solution and stir. Top with prosecco and garnish with an orange slice, red currants, and an edible flower, if desired.

*Citric Acid Solution
Combine ½ tsp citric acid with 2 oz water and stir until dissolved.