How Sushi Rice Can Make Your Negroni More Palatable

The Negroni is a popular cocktail worldwide, but admittedly, it can be quite bitter. The base liquor used is Campari; It's the same apéritif used in a warming Boulevardier cocktail, and it's classified as a bitter, along with other bitter Italian liqueurs like amaro. Negronis can be an acquired taste for some people, but there's a way to make this vibrant orange drink much more palatable.

The simple addition of uncooked sushi rice can tone down the bitterness of a Negroni. According to a mixologist at Winona's restaurant in Brooklyn, the rice smooths out the kick that comes from the liquors used in everything from Manhattans to the classic Negroni. This method, called rice-washing, can make cocktails easier to drink.

A standard Negroni features equal parts Campari, gin, and sweet vermouth. To rice-wash it, add a tablespoon or two of uncooked sushi rice to the cocktail in a mixing glass and give it a stir. Don't worry — none of the rice will make it into your beverage. It's strained out before serving, which leaves just enough of the starch behind to mellow out the drink.

Also semi-affectionately known as a Rice-A-Groni, the rice-washed Negroni has been confirmed by cocktail pros to be less bitter-tasting than the rice-free version. But while the YouTube channel "Through The Mixing Glass" described the regular Negroni as having many complex flavors, the rice-washed version tasted less dimensional. Still, even though he thought the sushi rice cocktail was missing the unique characteristics of the classic Negroni due to the blunting of the flavors, he believed it could be a good option for someone who doesn't care for the original recipe.

Sushi rice is used for rice washing because of its high starch content. That sticky starch is the reason why it's the perfect rice for making sushi at home. It's also the element that adds a little texture and silkiness to a rice-washed Negroni. 

If you want to try this rice-washing hack at home, you can find uncooked sushi rice in most supermarkets, usually in the international foods section. For best results, it's important not to substitute a less starchy variety of rice for this hack. If your local grocer doesn't carry sushi rice, you can look for it in an Asian market or add a bag of Lundberg Japanese-Style Sushi Rice to your Amazon cart.