In beautiful Scottsdale, AZ for a business conferences, Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort, and after a day of sessions was able to enjoy the lounge with many business friends and associates.
There wasn’t a Negroni on the cocktail menu so I asked my bartender what he could make for me. He asked if I ever had any Anthony Bourdain Negroni. I had not.
Anthony Bourdain once said the Negroni “sets you up for dinner, in a way it makes you hungry, sands the edges off the afternoon. In an after dinner, it’s settling. It is both an aperitif and digestivo. It’s a rare drink that can do that.
While Bourdain himself stuck to the classic, his friend and fellow chef José Andrés did share a “Negroni de Bourdain” recipe as a tribute on Bourdain Day. This specific riff on the cocktail did use Aperol, along with mezcal and Cynar, but it was José Andrés’s creation in homage, not Bourdain’s preferred daily recipe.
The classic recipe Bourdain preferred calls for equal parts:
- 1 oz Gin (often Bombay Sapphire)
- 1 oz Campari
- 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
- Garnished with an orange peel
“Negroni de Bourdain” (José Andrés Tribute)
This recipe is also sometimes referred to as the “Andrés & Cooper” cocktail.
- ¾ oz Mezcal (preferably Del Maguey Ibérico)
- ¾ oz Amontillado Sherry (preferably Lustau)
- ½ oz Cynar
- Aperol (quantity not specified in core recipe, but used as a substitute for Campari in the general description—often a ½ oz pour is common for balance in a riff)
- Garnish: Olives and ham (optional, but part of the original presentation)
Instructions
- Combine all liquid ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice.
- Stir well for approximately 30 to 40 rotations, until the mixture is thoroughly chilled and diluted.
- Strain the cocktail into a double Old-Fashioned glass over a large ice cube.
- Garnish by expressing the oils from an orange peel over the drink (and discarding the peel), and adding a cocktail pick with 2 olives and 2 thin slices of ham for a savory touch.