Chances are you can’t order a drink this week without coming across specials for Negronis. Negroni Week is in full swing and over 100 bars in Manhattan and Brooklyn are celebrating the simple yet effective combination of Campari, sweet vermouth and gin. The rules of Negroni week are pretty simple: participating bars donate a portion of each Negroni sold to a charity of their choice, and then Campari will donate $10,000 to whichever bar sells the most Negronis. Not a bad way to have your drink and give back too right?
But with all this talk of Negronis, what goes into making the perfect version? It’s one of the simplest cocktails out there, with every ingredient is given in equal parts. But while the Campari and the sweet vermouth aren’t changeable, gin certainly is. The classic version of a Negroni is made specifically with London Dry gin, which was popular during the early 20th century when Negronis came into fashion. It being travel season, we went to England to discover why English styles have stayed so integral to gin drinks.
And if you’re like us and always looking for the best local spirits, then we suggest Greenhook Ginsmiths, Finger Lakes Distilling’s Seneca Drums Gin and New York Distilling’s Perry’s Tot for your best Empire State-inpsired Negroni. Cheers!
Featured photo credit: Flickr/Jen SFO-BC
