contemporary · stirred
Cardinale recipe
A drier Negroni — gin and Campari sharpened with dry vermouth.
A Cardinale is 30 ml (28.2 g) Gin, 30 ml (31.5 g) Campari and 15 ml (15 g) Dry Vermouth, stirred and served in a rocks (old fashioned) glass. It pours to about 75 ml before ice, at roughly 29.6% ABV. Weighing the ingredients instead of measuring them is what keeps the balance identical from one round to the next.
- Glassrocks (old fashioned) glass
- Methodstirred
- Pour volume75 ml
- Strength (est.)29.6% ABV
- Time3 min
Cardinale ingredients — in millilitres and grams
Grams are what the PourPilot coaster actually targets. They are not the same as the millilitres: a spirit is lighter than water, a syrup is heavier, so 30 ml of one is never 30 g. The right-hand column is the density we use, in grams per millilitre.
| Ingredient | Volume | Weight | g/ml | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gin | 30 ml | 28.2 g | 0.94 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Campari | 30 ml | 31.5 g | 1.05 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Dry Vermouth | 15 ml | 15 g | 1.00 | Weighed by the coaster |
How to make a Cardinale
- Set your rocks (old fashioned) glass on the scale (or on the PourPilot coaster) and zero it. Every measurement below is given in millilitres and in grams, so you can use either.
- Pour Gin, Campari and Dry Vermouth into a mixing glass, weighing each one as you go.
- Fill the mixing glass with hard, cold ice and stir for 20–30 seconds — until the outside frosts and the mix has dropped to roughly −2 °C.
- Strain into a chilled rocks (old fashioned) glass over one large cube.
Cardinale: the questions people actually ask
How strong is a Cardinale?
Roughly 29.6% ABV as poured, before the ice dilutes it — typically another 15–25% water by the time you finish stirring or shaking. Strong. This is a stirred, undiluted-style drink — one is a full measure.
What glass should a Cardinale be served in?
A rocks (old fashioned) glass. One large, clear cube melts slower than four small ones and keeps the drink from watering out.
Can I make a Cardinale without a jigger?
Yes — that is what the gram column is for. Put the glass or tin on a kitchen scale, zero it, and pour to the weight. It is more accurate than a jigger because nothing is left clinging to the inside of the measure. The PourPilot coaster does the same thing without you having to watch a display: it lights up as you approach the target and tells you when to stop.
If you like the Cardinale
Negroni
Equal parts gin, vermouth, Campari. Stir over ice.
Dry Martini
Gin-forward, cold, and elegant. The ratio is everything.
Tuxedo
A dry Martini dressed up with maraschino, absinthe and orange bitters.
Boulevardier
Bourbon instead of gin. The Negroni's brooding American cousin.
Bijou
Gin, sweet vermouth, and Green Chartreuse. Jewel-bright.
Hanky Panky
Gin and sweet vermouth with a bracing dash of Fernet-Branca.