Where to get your Negroni fix during Negroni Week 2016

It’s amazing how a simple cocktail can kickstart an entire movement, but the humble Negroni has managed to raise some $120,000 for charities around the world from 2013 to 2014 through Negroni Week. This year Negroni Week will take place from 6 to 12 June across the globe, so let’s raise a glass – with the requisite gin, Campari and vermouth concoction, or its numerous bespoke interpretations – for a wonderful cause.

Presented by Campari, this year Negroni Week will take place from 6 to 12 June and here are some of the over 30 participating venues where you can imbibe in your classic Negronis, as well as the many different iterations of the apéritif thought up by the many talented bartenders who man (or woman) the shakers and stirrers behind those bars:

Nazgroni ($23++), Bitters & Love

Named after head bartender Naz Arjuna, the Nazgroni combines gin that’s been infused with lemongrass and pandan leaves to give a more local take on the traditionally Italian pre-dinner cocktail. The glass in which the cocktail comes in has also been pre-smoked to give a smoky hint to the concoction.

$2 per drink donated to Action for Singapore.

T’Groni ($18++), Tess Bar & Kitchen

Bartender Zac Lee mixes Bankes gin, Campari, and Noilly Prat dry vermouth tincture made with green tea, chamomile and jasmine flowers for a more floral hit. Served warm like a hot toddy.

$3 per drink donated to The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.

Slip It Sloe ($19++), Oxwell & Co

Oxwell & Co’s Aliff Mazlan mixes sloe gin instead of the usual dry version with tawny port, Campari and some chocolate bitters for a sweeter, cocao attack. Inspired while eating a chocolate brownie, no less.

$2 per drink donated to Children Charity Association.

Barrel-aged CE LA VI Negroni ($24++), CE LA VI

CE LA VI’s head mixologist Knut Randhem amps up the classic Negroni with the addition of Fernet Branca and cherry brandy, and then pops the mix into an American oak barrel for two weeks to marry and integrate the flavours aside from mellowing the alcohol out from the interaction with the oak.

$2 per drink donated to the Blue Lip Campaign.

Signature Negroni ($19++), Bread Street Kitchen

This carnivore’s delight of a cocktail integrates bacon fat into gin, Mancino Rosso and two different Italian bitters in Campari and Gran Classico for a more savoury and heftier cocktail that will sure entice bacon lovers. That perfectly crisped up piece of bacon from BSK’s kitchen in the Signature Negroni (pictured above) is also utterly moreish.

$1 per drink donated to The Singapore Association For The Deaf.

Kingston Negroni ($22++), Sugarhall

Named after the town of Kingston in Jamaica, rum bar Sugarhall head bartender Stuart Danker predictably swops out gin for rum – in this case Rum Nation Jamaican White Pot Still Rum – to combine with the Campari and Mancino Rosso vermouth, and adds some Falernum in for good measure.

$1 per drink donated to Community Chest.

Negroni Sour ($20++), The Secret Mermaid

The Secret Mermaid head bartender Kelly D’Cruz takes the flavours of a classic Negroni and turns it into a Sour, maintaining the apéritif’s bittersweet flavours while introducing the refreshing quality of a sour. Half Moon Orchard gin, Atsby Armadillo Cake American vermouth and Campari, spiked with hopped grapefruit bitters, make this more of an American-Italian conconction.

$2 donated per drink to Make A Wish Foundation.

Spicy Italiano ($22++), Jekyll & Hyde

Jekyll & Hyde’s Nicholas Lim retains the Negroni’s Italian heritage but spices things up with chilli bitters, lemongrass and hopped grapefruit bitters. He also uses a throwing technique instead of the usual shake, meant to create more bubbles.

$2 per drink donated to Make A Wish Foundation.

Amaro Amore ($22++), Long Chim

Vegneswaran Ram of David Thompson’s Long Chim adds some Thai influence into the Amaro Amore (pictured above), his Negroni take with a gin that’s been infused with holy basil, along with Campari as well as coffee-infused vermouth to help round out the flavours and put a smile on your face.

$1 per drink donated to Children Charity Association.

Mexico ’70 ($23++), Vasco

Smoky Mezcal has been one of the recent favourite base spirits of many a bartender, and here Christian Hartmann of Latin American-inspired Vasco replaces the gin in a Negroni with a smoky Mezcal, and then adds some chocolate bitters to complement the bitterness of Campari.

$1 per drink donated to Food From The Heart.

Sbagliato Rossa ($24++), Manhattan

The Sbagliato Negroni was accidentally invented when a busy bartender mistook sparkling wine for gin, and Manhattan revisits that by fusing Campari, Cocchi rossa, orange flower water, St Germain and topped off with champagne for a floral, bittersweet experience.

$1 per drink donated to Run For Hope Singapore.

Sorrel Negroni ($20), Bago at Lime House

David Boncimino at the new Bago at Lime House mixes Caribbean influence into a Negroni by adding Mount Gay Black Barrel rum to Campari and a Mancino Rosso, hibiscus, cinnamon and ginger infused gin plus some homemade cinnamon syrup for a sweet spicy tipple.

$1 or more per drink donated to The Star Shelter Fund.

The Bittersweet ($21++), DB Bistro

Whiskey-based The Bittersweet (pictured above) eschews gin for Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey, combining it with Punt e Mes and Aperol, along with a hit of Lillet Blanc, for a lighter, more refreshing take of the classic Negroni and perfect for warm summer evenings. Dehydrated orange and grapefruit powder further brightens the palate.

$1 per drink donated to The Singapore Association For The Deaf.

Beyond A Negroni ($22++), Nutmeg & Clove

This East-Meets-West Negroni by Nutmeg & Clove’s Leon Tan meshes The Botanist Gin, Campari, a sweet vermouth infused with lemongrass, cardamom and cloves along with Lasang Souchong tea and Kewra water for a spicy, smoky creation.

$2 per drink donated to Beyond Social Services Singapore.

Bull’s Eye #101 ($22++), Jigger & Pony

Jigger & Pony’s Boo Jing Heng – the Singapore champion of the ongoing Diageo Reserve World Class competition – is a tribute to Wild Turkey’s Jimmy Russell, mixing up Wild Turkey 101 instead of gin with Cinzano Rosso, Campari and then spiked with energy-giving Red Bull and some Absinthe for power.

$1 per drink donated to Community Chest.

Ginseng Negroni ($24++), Ah Sam’s Cold Drink Stall

The Negroni gets a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) makeover with ginseng-infused gin, along with Campari and sweet vermouth to add some vitality and energy into your alcoholic drink. Not sure if your sinseh will approve, but the herbal notes are likely to appeal.

$2 per drink donated to Ren Ci Hospital.

Choloni ($20), LongPlay

Choloni, named after the Peruvian greeting of ‘cholo’, is Kannan Pillai’s version of the Negroni. It replaces the gin with the Latin American brandy Pisco, which is mixed with Campari and sweet vermouth and then some Amargo Chunco bitters added for a South American twist.

$2 per drink donated to Eden School.

Classic Negroni ($25++), Shin Gi Tai (心技体)

Shin Gi Tai’s Anthony Zhong doesn’t mess about with the original classic much except for the proportions of the gin, Campari and a house-devised blend of sweet vermouth. He has been developing this recipe for over 4 years, and is still tweaking it for perfection.

$2 per drink donated to Noah’s Ark Companion Animal Rescue & Education Society.

Amber Spring ($21++), Kite

Kite’s Samuel Sim modifies the classic Negroni with the addition of elderflower liqueur to the usual trio of gin, Campari and vermouth.

$2 per drink donated to HealthServe.

The Breakfast Club ($19++), 28 Hong Kong Street

Logan Demmy’s The Breakfast Club is possibly the most un-Negroni-like of all Negronis during Negroni Week, combining Laird’s apple brandy Applejack with cold brew coffee and ginger syrup – garnished with orange – for an American breakfast-inspired drink. It’s probably the most generous of the week too.

$3 per drink donated to Pangdemonium.

Garibaldi Frizzante ($19++), FOC

FOC’s Shafik Ismail combines their house blend gin, Campari, Cynar, creme de cassis and fresh grapefruit juice, and then drops the whole shebang into a CO2 charger – normally used to dispense beer from a keg – to carbonate and add some sparkle to the cocktail.

$2 per drink donated to Children Cancer Foundation.