The Bitter Truth

Campari and its bitter relatives are grown-up fun

Campari is like cilantro: If you’ve tried it, you either loved it or you hated it. But let me make a case for this bright red booze with the bracing bitter taste: Bitter things are for adults. Children don’t like bitter things because natural selection has taught us that bitter things are often toxic. But we are adults, and we’ve come to appreciate the complexity that a little bitterness brings to things like dark chocolate and arugula.

Plus, there's something exceptionally refreshing about a drink that balances bitter and sweet—and can be served up or over plenty of ice.

The Negroni is a classic cocktail that's related to the Manhattan (whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters) and the Americano (Campari, sweet vermouth and club soda). Feel free to experiment with the proportions of all these recipes. A small dose of Campari can be a gateway drug to full-blown Campari love.

And have some fun playing around with Campari's relatives: the mellower, orange Aperol; the sweet, herbal Averna; and Cynar (say: CHEE-nar), which is made with artichoke leaves.

Quinn’s Essential Negroni

Mixologist Quinn Stephenson, who designs drinks for Coyote Café (132 W Water St., 983-1615), Geronimo (724 Canyon Road, 982-1500), The High Note (132 W Water St., 231-9918) and Radish & Rye (548 Agua Fría St., 930-5325), is a fan of the Negroni, and he loves to riff on it. The classic recipe calls for equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and Campari, but Stephenson prefers to increase the gin and vermouth, while de-emphasizing the intensity of the Campari. He likes a 3:2:1 ratio.

Stephenson is adamant that the quality of the vermouth will make or break this drink. He uses Carpano Antica, an Italian sweet vermouth. And he always garnishes a Negroni with fresh orange. This recipe allows you to make a perfect pitcher of Negronis. Just keep it chilled.

  • 3 parts g
  • in
  • 2 parts high-quality sweet vermouth
  • 1 part Campari
  • orange peel

Mix the three ingredients together and pour them over ice. Garnish with orange.

Coyote Café Blood Orange Negroni with Campari Dust

A dusting of dehydrated Campari on the rim of the glass makes a stunning presentation for this Coyote Café special. To make the Campari dust, simply pour Campari on a sheet tray and let it dry out. Once it's dehydrated, break up the pieces and use a spice grinder to grind them into a fine powder.

  • 1½ ounces gin
  • 1 ounce high-quality sweet vermouth
  • ½ ounce Campari
  • ½ ounce blood orange juice
  • Campari dust
  • orange peel

Mix the three ingredients together and pour them over ice. Rub the rim of a glass with an orange wedge, dip it in Campari dust and garnish with orange.

Radish & Rye Boulevardier

The Boulevardier is a cousin to the Negroni, made with whiskey, preferably bourbon. Although it's been around since the 1920s, the Boulevardier has recently become fashionable again.

  • 1½ ounce bourbon
  • 1 ounce Carpano Antica (or other high-quality vermouth)
  • ½ ounce Campari
  • orange peel

Enjoy over ice or pour into a cold martini glass. Garnish with orange.

Eloisa’s Black Negroni

This cocktail isn't on the regular menu at Eloisa (228 Palace Ave., 982-0883), but it is occasionally a weekend special, and beverage director Winston Greene says you can ask for it anytime. His version uses Averna in place of Campari and local Santa Fe Spirits' smoked gin liqueur.

  • 1 part Santa Fe Spirits Slow Burn Gin
  • 1 part Averna
  • 1 part Dolin Rouge vermouth

Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass and stir with ice, then strain into a glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with sage or a lemon wheel.

Low ’n’ Slow Negroni Rubia

This is a "sexier blonde cousin" of the Negroni, according to Carla Gilfillan, the bar manager at Hotel Chimayó's Low 'n' Slow Lowrider Bar (125 Washington Ave., 988-4900). Here, all of the classic ingredients are given a creative upgrade. Damrak Gin is a citrus-forward formula, which Gilfillan prefers for Negronis. Instead of Campari, she uses a combination of Cocchi Americano, a relatively new aperitif wine that falls somewhere between Lillet and Dubonnet, and the Colorado-made Breckenridge Bitter.

  • 1 ounce Damrak gin
  • 1 ounce Dolin Blanc vermouth
  • ½ ounce Cocchi Americano
  • ½ ounce Breckenridge Bitter
  • orange peel

Stir all of the ingredients together and pour them into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with orange.

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