Toast to Negroni Week with These 10 Cocktail Recipes from Pittsburgh Mixologists

Just as the leaves start to blush with red and orange, Negroni Week ensures that cocktail menus do the same. Begun as a fundraiser for Slow Food’s efforts to ensure access to heathy food, safe growing conditions, and planet-friendly agriculture, the concept has been embraced globally, Pittsburgh included. Celebrate Negroni Week, September 16 to 22 this year, at one of our wonderful watering holes.

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Traditionally speaking, the Negroni is made with equal parts Campari, gin, and sweet red vermouth and always garnished with an orange wheel. Five of our city’s mixologists mark this red-letter week with their very own variation of the spirits + bitters + vermouth outline of this beloved cocktail.

Toast to Negroni Week with These 10 Cocktail Recipes from Pittsburgh Mixologists

Earl Grey Negroni

An two Earl Grey Negronis sits in round cocktail glasses, garnished with a lemon wedge.

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Earl Grey tea is rightly treasured for the citrussy, aromatic bergamot oil overtones it layers onto the gentle bitterness of black tea leaves. At Pittsburgh’s Blue Sky, a Negroni made with Earl Grey-infused gin results in a cocktail rich with botanical sophistication.

Espresso Negroni

Two Espresso Negroni Cocktails in rocks glasses with an orange peel as garnish. Deep red in color. Espresso Negroni Cocktail Recipe

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The Espresso Negroni, also known as the Negroni Svegliato (Italian for “wide awake”), can be an aperitif and an after-dinner drink. Its dose of caffeine helps keep you energized, while its otherwise classic ingredients and proportions delight the palate. No matter when you choose to imbibe, sip slowly to appreciate the four-way conversation between coffee, sugars, gin, and bitters. They have a lot to say to each other.

Blood Moon Negroni

A hand comes from the right of the frame and holds a Blood Moon Negroni Cocktail, red in color. Garnished with a dried blood orange wheel. Blood Moon Negroni Cocktail Recipe

Any drink that asks us to rinse our glass with moonshine deserves respect. After completing this intriguing step, the rest looks mostly familiar: gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth take the lead. However, a Pinot noir reduction, made by gently simmering red wine and sugar until syrupy, adds a little symphony of unexpected flavor notes to this cocktail, even as it intensifies its red color. Let your nose do some of the work here: the bouquet is worth a moment of appreciation.

Negroni Con Alma

A light red cocktail in a rocks glass with an orange peel inside the glass. Negroni Con Alma Recipe

A beloved classic from Con Alma’s very first cocktail list, this Negroni is built around a base of Zafra rum. This rich, 21-year-old rum burnishes the drink to a special mellowness. Contratto, with its ingredient list of 28 herbs, roots, and spices gives added complexity, as do the bark and cherry notes of Amargo-Vallet.

The Beauty School Dropout

A red cocktail in a rocks glass sits next to two frozen red fruit cubes. The Beauty School Dropout Negroni Cocktail Recipe

In this fun take on a Negroni cocktail, the herbal notes of chamomile-infused Bluecoat Gin join with the sweetness of strawberry-infused Aperol and the light, floral delicacy of Lillet Rosé. The special touch here: homemade strawberry juice ice cubes. These lend a fresh, sweet-and-tart brightness to this extremely sippable (and nicely pink) drink. Rizzo and the rest of the Pink Ladies from Grease would approve.

Punch Drunk Negroni

A cocktail orange in color sits in a rocks glass, garnished by a strawberry. Punch Drunk Negroni Cocktail Recipe

Heads up! Take it easy on this Negroni recipe, or you may end up like the cocktail’s name: punch drunk. It calls for all the ingredients of a classic Negroni. Though, a fruity simple syrup and a bit of brut champagne makes the Punch Drunk cocktail all too easy to drink. Don’t say we didn’t warn you…

Coo Coo for Coconuts

A cocktail red in color sits on a wooden board that is slightly burnt with smoke pouring out. Coo Coo for Coconuts Negroni

 

There’s no doubt you’ll go coo coo for this coconut-flavored Negroni. Tequila is swapped in for the usual gin. Plus, a creamy banana sherry plus pineapple-infused Campari brings the tropical vibes right into your home. Summer is coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean the taste of warmer weather has to stop too.

Magrouni

A pale yellow cocktail in a wine glass garnished with basil

Based on a white Negroni, this cocktail recipe from Con Alma is named after jazz trumpeter Erik Truffaz’s song of the same name. This cocktail features Thai basil and jalapeno infused Jin JiJi as its main ingredient. Con Alma Mixologist Hannah McKee, says of Magrouni, “It has a very cool Indian sound to it, and since this riff features an Indian dry gin, it seemed like a good fit.”

Papà ‘Groni

Two dark red Negroni cocktails in tall glasses garnished with rosemary and blackberry

A traditional Negroni is no more in this cocktail recipe from Mixologist Sarah Cascone. Notes of cinnamon, toffee, and caramel dance with citrus and fruit flavors for a refreshing drink. Mix up a batch and share with friends around a fire.

Cherry Tart Negroni

A dark blue and black background with a red, Cherry Tart Negroni cocktail with a square ice cube, garnished with a cherry wrapped in orange peel on a pick.

The Cherry Tart Negroni, by Tyler Lewis at Pittsburgh’s Blue Sky, is a vibrant twist on the traditional Negroni recipe. Made with cherry juice and cherry bitters, the result is a burst of tingling sweet and tart.

Story by Keith Recker and Jordan Snowden / Photography by Dave Bryce / Produced by Star Laliberte

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