For the purist, a negroni is a cocktail made from equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. We don’t exactly count ourselves in that category, but we’ve been known to wade into arguments about what a thing is (and isn’t). For instance, a martini: gin plus vermouth, shaken or stirred, strained, and served up, preferably with an olive or two. Plus a dash of orange bitters, for history’s sake, or a little olive brine if you like it dirty. Never mind what it isn’t. 

Like many a cocktail, the negroni was devised by a bartender—an Italian mixing drinks in beautiful Florence, according to the lore. The classic recipe might be perfect, but lately we’ve sampled some interesting variations. At Vara Winery & Distillery, where their craft distiller’s license prevents them from selling Campari, they make a very nice white negroni using their High Desert gin, Vermut Seco and Vermut Dulce, house-made orange liqueur, and a dash of bitters. At Paloma, the Negroni Oaxaca substitutes Vida Mezcal for gin, resulting in a drink that you could easily mistake for a classic negroni if your olfactory receptors weren’t immersed in the rich smokiness of the mescal. At Happy Accidents, a newish cocktail bar in Albuquerque’s Nob Hill where part of the ceiling is paved with plastic green grass, they use bitter orange liqueur instead of Campari, making for a flavor profile that is even more bitter. Is it a negroni? We’re not sure, but it’s a cocktail you’ll enjoy if you’re drawn to sharp, intense, orange, and the lively mouthfeel of the most undersung of the five modalities of taste. We loved it.

On the home front, we decided to go back to the basics—sort of. Negroni aficionados often call for a navy strength or dry London style, but we went with Dry Point Distiller’s Monsoon Gin, thinking the licorice notes would meld well with the bitter Campari. And they did, creating a slightly sweeter drink than any of the above. 

What’s your best riff on the negroni? Or your favorite alternative to another classic cocktail? 

Delicious Things

Soup for breakfast? And on a summer day like today? But yes. The Morning Soup at Dolina Cafe & Bakery is built with a light lamb bone broth and just the right amount of wild rice, with thinly sliced caramelized onions lending a shade of sweet. If you need confirmation that this delectable dish is fitting for your day’s first meal, look to the perfectly poached egg floating near the soup’s surface.

Pop-Ups & Festivals

Distillations

Even within city limits, especially in late August after a monsoon season, an abundance of wild foods surrounds us. On August 21, Dryland Wilds leads a walk in Albuquerque to teach participants to identify some invasive and common plants that can be used for food, tea, and skin care. 

Abundance comes part and parcel with stewardship, and the next Bosque Restoration Field Day, hosted by the Yerba Mansa Project, Albuquerque Herbalism, and the City of Albuquerque Open Space, takes place September 18. And in case you missed it, Yerba Mansa Project founder and executive director Dara Saville talks about her new book on Southwestern botanical medicine in this archived talk from the Corrales Public library this past spring. 

Edible New Mexico just announced the finalists for this year’s Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown. Attend in person on September 11 to cast your votes for The Skillet, High Point Grill, Tuerta, Street Food Institute, Fork & Fig, Pajarito Brewpub and Grill, Luminaria Restaurant and Patio, or Turtle Mountain Brewing Company. 

Thanks for reading—and thank you to the people who have been mixing and serving our negronis and other delicious things.

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