Modern Twists
on the Classic Negroni
Even the Count Would Be Impressed
By Nikki Bayley | Images By Joern Rohde
Il Caminetto
604-932-4442 | ilcaminetto.ca
Bar Manager | Kevin Hartwell
Sakura Namida
When a restaurant cocktail menu has a whole page for its Negroni Vault program, you know you’re in good hands! “It’s just a great cocktail that you can express simply, but differently, based on whatever the guest wants,” explains Il Caminetto Bar Manager Kevin Hartwell. “You can change up the gin, the vermouth, the bittering agent, everyone knows Negroni as a Campari drink, but I think you can switch that up too.”
So, when is a Negroni not a Negroni? “For me, to be a true Negroni, it must have gin, sweet vermouth and a bittering agent; just three ingredients. Three-part cocktails are my jam! Being able to pick and choose what you want, you can personalize it for your guest; the options are limitless,” Hartwell says.
Hartwell mixes up what I’m calling the Beginner’s Negroni, but you’ll find it on their list as the Sakura Namida, a gentle blend of Japanese Suntory Roku gin, Pilla Select and Cocchi Storico vermouth. “This is my personal favourite vermouth,” Hartwell tells me. “It makes a really nice approachable drink for people who’ve maybe not had a Negroni, or don’t enjoy that bitterness; it’s a great way to start them off.” He’s spot on; this drink starts with a whoosh of grapefruit on the nose from the garnish, and as the drink blooms and dilutes, the soft, floral aromatics of the spirits come out. Having a Negroni with scarcely a whisper of bitterness is disconcerting, but I rather love this, especially the Jolly Rancher watermelon note at the finish!
BAR OSO
604-962-4540 | baroso.ca
Bar Supervisor | Eddy Lim
Smoke & Mirrors
For a Negroni that tears up the rule book, head to Bar Oso for their Smoke & Mirrors, which uses not three, but seven different ingredients and switches up the traditional gin for a blend of agave spirits. “It still respects all the bitter and sweet criteria,” insists Bar Supervisor Eddy Lim. “It’s not just about the trio of ingredients; it’s the flavour profile, the sensation on your palate when you drink the drink, and for me, this absolutely does that.”
Keeping with a Latin American vibe, the cocktail blends equal parts of tequila and mezcal infused with cacao nibs and shishito peppers. A little sweet, a little spicy, this plays off the blend of Campari, Aperol, and, of course, Spanish vermouth. “We did a lot of R&D to find the right balance between sweetness, bitterness and the smokiness of the mezcal,” Lim says.
Green on the nose from the blistered pepper resting on the brand-stamped ice cube, this drink dances between bitterness, booziness, a tiny hit of sweetness and a kiss of heat on the finish. “I love Negronis for all the twists that you can do with them,” Lim says with a smile. “Switch vermouth for sherry, change the spirit, making twists to give this cocktail complexity and unlimited possibilities!”
BEARFOOT BISTRO
604-932-3433 | bearfootbistro.com
Bartender Kim Jones
Negroni del Mediterraneo
Bearfoot Bistro Bartender Kim Jones’s twist on a classic Negroni takes us on a trip to the Mediterranean with a brief stopover in Martinique. Using equal parts, this cocktail switches up Campari for Luxardo’s Bitter Bianco (a liqueur traditionally used in white negronis, made by infusing bitter herbs, aromatic plants and citrus); gin gets exchanged for Saint James’s Royal Ambré rhum from Martinique and everything is rounded out with the bittersweet blend of spice and citrus from Amaro Nonino (one of my favourites!).
“This drink is inspired by my rum-loving friend Kyle,” says Jones. “He says rum cocktails are the best in the world, so I wanted to make a Negroni-inspired rum drink for him! For me, when I want to wind down and sip on something delicious, my go-to is a Negroni; you can’t beat it at the end of the workday.”
I let the ice clink in the glass and take a sip, inhaling the zippy citrus from the lemon twist. Thanks to a couple of dashes of chocolate bitters, this beautifully balanced Negroni deftly walks the tightrope between bitter and sweet. Let the ice melt a little more, and discover a wonderfully sweet and spicy Negroni that’s perfect for the wintertime.
CARAMBA
604-938-1879 | carambarestaurant.com
Pare Restaurant Group Beverage Manager | Jamie Cornwell
Bosco Bianco
Heading off-piste into a seasonally inspired white Negroni, Caramba’s Bosco Bianco (white forest) brings something wintery to the menu. “One of our team, Charlotte, was out foraging for pine needles, and she wanted to bring that B.C. forest influence into a Negroni,” says Jamie Cornwell, Pare Restaurant Group beverage manager. “We’re using a Tofino Distillery gin, which has the aromatics of old-growth forest along with Chiaro Amaro from Woods in North Vancouver; it’s fun to switch out that bittering agent, stepping away from Campari and using something local instead. Our third ingredient is Lillet Blanc, sous-vide with pine needles.”
This is such a refreshingly different Negroni style! Fresh and smooth with a hint of mint and eucalyptus at the end, a hint of lemon, and peppery celery leaves, this drink disappears dangerously fast. So, for Cornwell, what makes a Negroni? “I think of the Negroni as a Campari cocktail, not a gin one, but here we are in the realms of a white Negroni, so no Campari. But you still need an Italian-style bitters as the backbone. I’ve tried to extract the colour out of Campari, but I’ve ruined a Brita filter trying to do that! We wanted texture in this cocktail, and that’s where the pine needles come in, the natural oils bring an extra element. We used toasted and dehydrated needles with a little salt as a glass garnish and a few drops of the oil on top, too. Clean, almost menthol on the end with a woodsy vibe, it’s a great B.C. [inspired] white Negroni,” Cornwell says.
BRAIDWOOD TAVERN
604-966-5280 | braidwoodtavern.com
Beverage Supervisor | Maria del Rocio Mogollon Plascencia
Artisanal Negroni
If you like to play with your food (and drink!), then the Artisanal Negroni at the Four Seasons’s cozy Braidwood Tavern is for you. “I love a Negroni, and I like the story of how it evolved from one classic cocktail to become another,” shares Maria del Rocio Mogollon Plascencia, Braidwood Tavern beverage supervisor. “Campari really encourages experimenting with the drink, which I love too. For me, the Negroni is about evolving, but it has to have three parts, and the Campari is a must.”
In this three-part cocktail, gin is exchanged for a smoky Siete Misterios mezcal infused with juniper and mandarin, along with classic Campari and vanilla-y Antica Formula vermouth. “You have the experience and are part of the cocktail, you are the last touch as you serve yourself,” explains Mogollon Plascencia. “Look at the label, too; we designed it to show all the ingredients!”
There is something very satisfying about the presentation with the cute mini-flask and gleaming tray, and it’s fun to pour the drink out for yourself, allowing just the right amount of dilution from the brand-stamped ice cube. Whisper it, but this might just be my favourite of all the Negronis that I’ve tried. Beautifully balanced with a hint of smoke and candied mandarin on the nose, this is absolutely delicious!