About the Contessa cocktail
The Contessa is a lighter Negroni variation made with equal parts gin, dry vermouth, and Aperol. Swapping sweet vermouth for dry vermouth makes the drink less rich and a little brighter, while Aperol replaces Campari’s punch with a smoother, mellower bitterness.
It is a stirred cocktail and a natural gateway to the Negroni. A “perfect” version splits the vermouth between sweet and dry for extra richness, and bumping up the gin makes it drier and even brighter. The Contessa keeps the Negroni’s shape while turning down the volume.
