How to celebrate Negroni Week 2018

Posted by Matt Looker, 04 Jun 2018 | Events

It's that time of year again to worship at the altar of the equal-parts icon of cocktails: the Negroni.

Between 4th and 10th June, Negroni Week (hashtag Negroni Week) performs miracles for the world by encouraging people to drink for a good cause. The event is presented by Imbibe Magazine and Campari, and with participating bars and restaurants around the world mixing the classic cocktail and its variations in an effort to raise money for various charities, so far more than $1.5 million in donations has been raised.

All you have to do to support the cause is find out which bars near you are participating and go nuts for Negronis as a thank you for their donations.

To get you in the mood though, here are a few Negroni recipes to try out, ask for, or scoff at, assured that any bar participating in Negroni Week (hashtag Negroni Week) will create something much better.

The classic and best Negroni

Before we get on to some Negroni variations, let's make one thing clear: I know that there is only one true Negroni, made up of equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, and that anything else should technically be another drink by another name. Ok, purists? I know.

So let's start with this ULTRA-PURE Negroni, made with a special Batch 2 Gin by East London Liquor Company that has been "created with a Negroni in mind". With a distinctly herby taste profile - coriander, sage, bay leaf, lemon peel, lavender, thyme and fennel seeds are just some of the botanicals - this gin is perfectly paired to this cocktail, and this ultimate Negroni is what's known in the industry as a 'helluva thing'.

Coffee Negroni

What do you do if it's 2018 and you need a variation on a cocktail? You add coffee, obviously. This works really well, however, giving a great caffeine kick that evenly matches the strength of the cocktail.

Old Pal

Here's one I found on Saveur.com. Created by Jonny Raglin of San Francisco’s Comstock Saloon, this swaps gin for twice as much of the spicier rye, and then balances it with dry vermouth instead of sweet. The result is a heady mix of strong ingredients, that is described by Saveur as a "cousin" of the Negroni. And presumably then a direct relation of the Boulevardier. A brother? Secretly adopted son?

Cachaça Negroni

Here's one I put together based on nothing more than the fact that I just replenished my stock of Leblon Cachaça. I put it together here with Italicus, which has a much smoother herbal feel than the Campari, and off-set that against the dry vermouth to create an overall balanced drink that proved very quaffable.

House Of Payne

Ok, this is waaaay off the original formula, but it's from Death & Co, which is the highest certificate of legitimacy you can get for a Negroni variation. The original recipe called for Beefeater Gin, but I couldn't resist matching my Elephant Gin with the Elephant Sloe Gin in the same glass. Overall, this was a great, fruity take on the classic.
Be sure to check out #NegroniWeek (hashtag Negroni Week) on your social media platform of choice to look at even more wonderful Negronis and Negroni-adjacent drinks.

Tags: Negroni, Negroni Week, Gin, Campari, Vermouth