Sun, sea and Salento Negroni

This recipe was created by Marco Tilocca, bar manager at Italian restaurant Alba in Knightsbridge, London.

The Salento Negroni captures the essence of southern Italy’s Salento region, blending local flavours in a sophisticated way.

The cocktail is served in a glass seashell and features a silky mouthfeel from an olive oil fat-wash, which softens the bitterness of the Campari and enhances each layered note. The final drink contains no actual oil but retains a delicate spiciness and a silky texture.

Ingredients

• 25ml Tanqueray No 10 gin
• 25ml 1757 Vermouth di Torino Rosso
• 25ml Campari
• 30ml extra virgin olive oil
• Nocellara olives to garnish

Method

Combine all ingredients and leave to infuse for 24 hours for fat washing.

Place the batch in the freezer overnight. By morning, the olive oil will have solidified and separated from the liquid.

Remove the frozen fat and double strain the liquid through a coffee filter.

Add 75ml of the batch in a mixing glass, stir and strain the liquid into a shell glass with ice.

Garnish with a Nocellara green olive on a stick.