NYC Tastes

Today is the official kickoff to Negroni Week; a party launched in 2013 to celebrate the fabulous pink drink while raising money for charities all over the globe.  Simply find a participating venue, purchase a Negroni and that bar will make an immediate donation to a charity they have chosen such as Autism Speaks, No Kid Hungry or Mercy Corp. Classic Negroni~ Dante at Genuine We plan to check out apertivo spot Vini e Fritti who's featuring a reserve barrel aged Negroni and special house white Negroni to support City Harvest and Red Hook favorite Fort Defiance who's serving up a special Caffe Negroni made with cold brew coffee for Lambda Legal.  There are literally thousands of bars and restaurants participating all over the world, so check out the  Negroni Week Website  to see a list of participants and their menu for the week.  There's never been a better time to be a Negroni lover than right now. Negroni Week Participating venues all over NYC

My favorite happy hour in the city right now just happens to be inside my old favorite coffee shop Caffe Dante.  Mr. T and I used to come here years ago for their  frothy cappuccinos  and sweet Italian cookies.  The space has since been redone with much more emphasis on the food and drink menu and the addition of a long bar/table up front for extra seating.  Happy Hour here isn't called "happy hour" it's called The Negroni Sessions because every drink on their list is some take on the classic Negroni.  There's the spring time Lavender Negroni and the pick-me-up Coffee Swizzle Negroni made with mezcal, cold brew and bitters. There's the bright, citrus forward Negroni Frappe made with Junipero, Gran Lusso and orange juice... ...and of course even the Classic Negroni made with Bombay Sapphire, Campari and Maritni & Rossi Vermouth. Unfortunately word on the Negroni Sessions is out because this place is always packed! However ...

Mr. T's favorite cocktail in the world is so popular it has its very own week with special Negroni variations all over the city.  I'm especially excited about the Rosato Negroni at Pecora Bianca made with Fords Gin, Lillit Rose, Campari, grapefruit and orange juice and I'm sure Mr. T will be all over the barrel aged Negroni at neighborhood Maialino. All of the participating bars and restaurants can be found  here.   But if your looking to make one at home here's a variation I just tried out using one of my favorite spirits of all time Macchu Pisco. Pisco Negroni 6 Tablespoons Macchu Pisco 1/4 cup sweet vermouth 8 drops of orange bitters 1/4 Campari Combine all ingredients and shake then divide between two glasses filled with ice.  Garnish with a slice of orange zest. Negroni Week Multiple Locations

That's right from June 1st - 7th over 3,500 bars around the world will be celebrating this classic cocktail to raise funds for various charitable causes.  Of course NYC has quite a few venues on the list including Eataly, Eleven Madison Park, L'Artusi and the fabulous bitters den Amor y Amargo who will be donating to the Barmans Fund. They will be serving up their Negroni and donating to the Barmans Fund...what a perfect excuse to go out and enjoy a drink this week! Negroni Week Amor y Amargo 443 East 6th Street @ Avenue A NY, NY 10009