Gin, Suze, and Lillet Blanc — the accidental Bordeaux invention that's more delicate than its red counterpart.
The White Negroni was created by Wayne Collins in 2001 at Bar Le Forum in Bordeaux, France, during a cocktail competition. Collins ran out of Campari mid-competition and grabbed the nearest available bitter ingredient — Suze (a French gentian root liqueur) — and replaced the sweet vermouth with Lillet Blanc. The result was so good it became a signature drink.
The White Negroni is structurally identical to a Negroni but tastes radically different. Campari's fruity-bitter-red character is replaced by Suze's earthy, almost radically bitter gentian-root flavour. Sweet vermouth's red-wine richness is replaced by Lillet Blanc's floral, white-wine delicacy. The result is more delicate, more aromatic, and crystal clear — beautiful to look at.
Replace Lillet Blanc with Cocchi Americano for a more bitter, quinine-forward result. The extra bitterness brings it closer in structure to a classic Negroni.
Replace Lillet Blanc with a good dry vermouth (Dolin Dry). Drier and less floral — closer to a standard Negroni structure.
Shake rather than stir, add ¾ oz lemon juice, and omit the Lillet. An absinthe-rinsed coupe version — a Corpse Reviver meets a White Negroni.