The Quill cocktail gives the classic Negroni a herbal variation, a simple and easy spirit-forward drink to mix.
Quill Cocktail – Photo © Cocktails & Bars
A variation on the Negroni, the Quill cocktail is not overly common. The cocktail makes use of absinthe with gives the bitter-sweet libation a bright and herbal note.
The drink is said to appear in the 1996 updated edition of Harry McElhone’s classic cocktail book Harry’s ABC of Mixing Drinks but not the earlier edition*. Frank C. Payne is credited for its creation. He was a theatrical agent who formed a union in the 1920s with his peers. Quill was the name of the magazine created by the union and bears no other literary reference or relation to the Journalist.
The cocktail also features in the Bartender’s Choice App by Sam Ross where it is described as “a Negroni with a dash of absinthe, nice and simple”.
Quill Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 30ml dry gin
- 30ml sweet vermouth
- 30ml Campari
- 5ml absinthe
Glassware: rocks glass
Garnish: orange twist
Method
In a mixing glass, add gin, sweet vermouth, Campari and absinthe and stir with ice until chilled. Strain into a chilled rocks glass over a large ice cube and garnish with an orange twist.
