Seattle is home to many great cocktail establishments, one of the best is Rob Roy on 2nd avenue in the hip Belltown section of town.  I asked the bartender, Brady Sprouse,  to mix a unique Negroni for me. After asking a few questions to determine my taste preferences he went to work. The result was fabulous.

The Gin:  Ransom Old Tom Gin locally crafted

The Vermouth: Cocchi Barolo Chinato

The Amaro: Campari

More: Orange oil freshly zested

If you are visiting Seattle, Belltown is the neighborhood to spend some time in. On the waterfront on land claimed by William Nathaniel Bell back in the 1800’s. “Belltown is the epicenter of Seattle’s  restaurant scene, with hot nightclubs,  cool shops, great places to live, work or  play, and the new Olympic Sculpture Park”  According to Belltown.org.  The hood is also noted by CNNMoney  as  “the best place to retire in the Seattle metro area, calling it “a walk able neighborhood with everything you need.”

Needless to say there are many places to enjoy a great cocktail but Rob Roy is known as one of the best. Since I had just one night left in Seattle I chose it as a place I had to visit. The creation of the amazing Anu Apte. See more about Anu in the video below.

This Negroni is unique in that it was made with an “Old Tom Gin” which is an oak aged gin. I’ve experimented using Old Tom and have not come up with the right recipe. Brady did well with this one.  Ransom Old Tom is  crafted in Oregon by Tad Seestedt who in founded his distillery in 1997 “with a small life savings and a fistful of credit cards. The name was chosen to represent the debt incurred to start the business.” So they say.  Old Tom has a stand out flavor which means the vermouth and amaro used for this Negroni need to be reserved.

Not called a vermouth Cocchi Barolo Chinato is a fortified a aromatized wine made in the birth place of vermouth, Piedmont. Not from Torino but rather the world famous Barolo region home of some of the world’s greatest wines. It is rich and deep and a perfect accompaniment to the distinct Old Tom gin flavors.

As Amari go, many are quite exotic, Campari is straightforward and deliberate. A perfect part of this accomplished Negroni.

To complete cocktail Brady zested some fresh orange oil and served as requested on the rocks.  I savored this perfect cocktail and began planning my next trip to Seattle.