New twists on the Negroni challenge the original

Those who know me well are aware of my love of the Negroni. The perfect aperitif and a favorite since my first visit to Italy 11 years ago, I crave Campari [1]’s bitter crispness balanced with gin. I concur with Victoria Moore who says in her book, How to Drink [2]: “The negroni is a beautiful thing, garnet in color, sweet-astringent to taste, and decisively highbrow. Drinking it feels like taking a sip of Florence, Renaissance frescoes, students swooping about on scooters...” My typically adventurous palate sees no reason to vary from a traditional, already perfect Negroni recipe (http://www.imbibemagazine.com/Negroni [3]), but the skilled bartenders in our fair city and the makers of a brilliant new product, Gran Classico Bitter have been opening my eyes in recent months to other Negroni vistas.

TEMPUS FUGIT NEGRONI at Spoonbar -- Scott Beattie offers three versions of Negronis at the wonderful new Spoonbar [4] in Healdsburg. The Tempus Fugit Negroni [5]($8.50) particularly wows. Made with Ransom's (http://www.ransomspirits.com [6]) impeccable Old Tom Gin, Dolin Rouge Vermouth, orange zest and Tempus Fugit's Gran Classico Bitter [7], it's a musky, full revelation.

PISCO NEGRONI at Cantina -- Duggan McDonnell at Cantina [8] showed me another way as realized as a classic Negroni: a Pisco Negroni. Out of all four here, this one tastes most like the original, bright with pisco instead of gin, Gran Classico instead of Campari. It’s lush, almost caramel-y with his lovely Encanto Pisco [9], while the favored bitter/tart Campari offers is illuminated in the Gran Classico.

Brian MacGregor's NEGRONI d'OR -- Brian MacGregor is shaking cocktails for his last week at Jardiniere [10], a loss for that bastion of 1930's, supperclub-style elegance, but a gain for the upcoming Locanda, opening in the Mission from the Delfina [11] crew, where MacGregor will be Bar Manager. He went all the way to Cognac, France, for the G'Vine Gin [12] World Finals with this pristine beauty that comes unadorned in a wine glass. It's golden-hued and smooth with G'vine Nouasion gin, Dolin White vermouth and, yes, Gran Classico. It may no longer be on order at Jardiniere once MacGregor departs after 9/9, but if you ask nicely, he might be able to make it for you in his new digs.

LO SCANDINAVO at 15 Romolo
The gifted crew at 15 Romolo [13] continually does it right, pushing boundaries while maintaining taste and classic standards. The Negroni gets a Scandinavian makeover with the Lo Scandinavo ($11), aka Aquavit Negroni: North Shore Aquavit [14], Gran Classico Bitter and Carpano Antica. Here, an astringent smoothness is accented by a slice of lemon peel. The aquavit forms a clean foundation for the bitter qualities to shine.

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