This aperitivo cocktail is a hybrid of a Negroni Sbagliato (bitter liqueur, sweet vermouth, prosecco) and a spritz (bitter liqueur, prosecco, soda). Fortified with a small measure of aged gin and winterized with a dose of citrus, it’ll have you embracing January’s chill with flavors of pine, citrus, and apple.

This is the “root cocktail” for this month’s programming, i.e. the drink that determined the core of our supply list. I came up with the original Tyrolean Negroni at Gigantic a couple years ago: super piney gin, Carpano Antica and a split measure of Braulio and Sfumato. This updated version comes together beautifully and does a great job of showcasing the blanc vermouth.

Keeping the equal parts structure of a classic Negroni, this version reduces the pour per ingredient and adds a fourth spirit. The addition of French brandy provides a counterpoint to the gin, which amplifies its pine notes, which are further bolstered by the rosemary-infused Campari.

The Americano began as a fizzy version of the elemental Milano-Torino, which mixes Campari (from Milan) with sweet vermouth (from Torino, or Turin). It got its name from the American tourists and expats who took to it with enthusiasm, especially during Prohibition.

I came up with this cocktail for a peaty Scotch lover who… didn’t want Scotch that night. I settled on a Negroni build and used super piney gin (St. George Terroir). Vanilla-heavy Carpano Antica in the vermouth spot. And I switched out the Campari in favor of two great amari from the Italian alps: Braulio, a coniferous beauty (and my all-time favorite) from Bormio, near the Swiss border, and Sfumato Rabarbaro, a product from Trento’s Cappelletti distillery, a rhubarb-based bitter with a smoky edge. (That was in response to the peaty Scotch note.) Think of this as the classic, urbane Negroni hitting the slopes!

Back in February 2020, I had a wonderful trip to the region where Cognac is produced. This drink, a sort-of Negroni, is my recollection of that week in a glass.

This Negroni riff was one of three drinks featured in my Autumn Aperitivo class (2021). It combines aged apple brandy, amaro, and Madeira or sherry, with a small measure of maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Served over a big cube and garnished with an orange twist.

This great fall highball was an impromptu response to a request from my spouse. I call it the Bitter Hi-Fall and it was one of the drinks for my Autumn Aperitivo class (2021). Just as that class combined American fall flavor with Italian aperitivo, this drink sits somewhere between a classic highball and an Americano. Equal measures of apple brandy, amaro, and Madeira or sherry join spicy ginger beer in this perfect autumn aperitif.