Cocktail of the week: The Mondrian’s white negroni sbagliato

A nifty twist on the ‘broken negroni’ featuring vodka, gentian liqueur and a rosemary-infused sugar syrup

he negroni sbagliato, an Italian word meaning “mistake” or “broken”, usually swaps the gin in the original for sparkling wine. This twist, however, goes even further, with the addition of vodka, Suze gentian liqueur and a gorgeous, rosemary-scented sugar syrup, which you’ll need to make a day ahead.

White negroni sbagliato

Serves 1

For the rosemary syrup
1 sprig rosemary
100g sugar

For the drink
30ml vodka, ideally a rosemary-infused one – we use Grey Goose White Peach & Rosemary
15ml Suze
15ml Martini Blanco, or other white vermouth
15ml rosemary syrup (see above and method)
1 splash soda
1 splash prosecco
1 strip grapefruit zest, to garnish
1 sprig rosemary, to garnish

First make the syrup. Strip the leaves off the rosemary and put them in a pan with the sugar and 100ml water. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, set aside to cool, then leave to infuse for 24 hours. Strain, then store in a sealed jar in the fridge, where it will keep for at least a fortnight.

To make the drink, measure the vodka, Suze, vermouth and syrup into a mixing glass and stir to combine. Pour into a rocks glass filled with cubed ice, and top with a splash each of soda and prosecco. Pinch the grapefruit zest over the top of the drink, to release the oils, then drop it in the glass. Finish with a rosemary sprig, ideally tickled with the flame of a lighter or match, but only just enough to singe the leaves and release their aromas.