For one week in June, bars and restaurants around the globe will be mixing negronis for a cause of their choosing, and Boston’s best bartenders are getting all kinds of creative, offering up their unique spin on the classic with house-infused spirits, fortified wine and assorted amari. From Monday, June 4th through Sunday, June 10th, every sip of the bittersweet concoction will go towards charities like Lovin’ Spoonfuls, Inspire Artistic Minds, Core, and No Kid Hungry, so check out the participating spots below or have a look at the whole list of venues all over the world (8,299 and counting) on the official Negroni Week website.
Area Four South End
Area Four’s motto is great food comes from great ingredients, and their mindset for great cocktails is no different. For negroni week, they’ve crafted The Birdcage, which features campari, blanco tequila, sombra mezcal, and lillet rose, topped off with a drop of Laphroaig 10 scotch and a crafty lemon peel. Every sip goes towards Lovin’ Spoonfuls.
Babbo Pizzeria e Enoteca
This year, Babbo Pizzeria is debuting a White Negroni that’s just as irresistible as its Italian deeper-hued cousin. The cocktail sticks with beefeater gin as its base but swaps sweet vermouth and campari for two lovely, very sippable aperitifs — flowery lillet and quinine-heavy cocchi americano — for the perfect pre-pasta accompaniment. Proceeds from every negroni will help raise funds for No Kid Hungry, a non-profit that works to solve world hunger and poverty.
Bar Boulud
See what happens when a classic Italian cocktail gets an infusion of Irish gin at an iconic French restaurant. Bar Boulud at the Mandarin Oriental will be offering a special version of their negroni featuring Drumshanbo Irish Gunpowder Gin, which is made with oriental botanicals and gunpowder tea by PJ Rigney and the folks at The Shed Distillery. Proceeds from this cross cultural beverage will be donated to local food recuse organization Lovin’ Spoonfuls so, drink up.
Bar Mezzana
The sipping is simple at the South End’s Bar Mezzana, and they’re offering a classic version of the cocktail that’s Insta-worthy in its own right. Barman Ryan Lotz has also teased up as many as four other variations, but you’ll just have to stop by to see what he’s come up with. Feel good knowing your drinking helps support Lovin’ Spoonfuls, a food rescue org that helps minimize food waste and alleviate hunger.
BOND
BOND, tucked inside the Langham Boston, is rolling out a standard negroni with a not so standard gin — their very own Reserve Gin, formulated by Bully Boy in a collaboration meant to merge the hotel’s local roots with the British heritage of the Langham brand. Every negroni stirred up with this extra-special spirit will raise funds for Boston-based Lovin’ Spoonfuls.
The Butcher Shop
Legendary barman John Gertsen (onetime Bar Manager at No. 9 and former General Manager of Drink) certainly left his mark on Boston’s cocktail culture (he’s pretty much the man who started it all), so much so that his cocktail recipes are still cropping up. For Negroni Week, The Butcher Shop brings back The Contessa, a Gertsen original that combines Barr Hill Gin, Dry Vermouth and Aperol. Every sip goes towards a donation for Lovin’ Spoonfuls.
Buttonwood
Lighter than a typical negroni, an Americano has less alcohol than its much-loved originator but still a respectable amount of flavor. The team at Buttonwood combines equal parts campari and sweet vermouth, topped with a splash of soda water, and garnished with an orange twist. Their charity of choice is the Susan G. Komen foundation, so you’ll be contributing to breast cancer research through your imbibing.
Cafe Art Science
Cafe Art Science is pushing the envelope on the classic Negroni and reinterpreting the cocktail in three states of matter — through gas (in its negroni whaf), through liquid (in its lotus leaf soaked negroni), and through solid (in its frozen negroni doused in liquid nitrogen and blast-chilled, then served up in popsicle form). Proceeds from any of the three inventive options will go towards the WILD Foundation, which protects seascapes, the wilderness, and human communities.
Capo
Capo is debuting a cheeky homage to the Red Light District in Amsterdam — the birthplace of Bols Genever — with their Red Light Negroni, chilled down and served up in a light bulb. They’ll be stirring the concoction up with bols genever, campari, and cocchi di torino so you can happily help make a donation towards Lovin’ Spoonfuls.
Casa Verde
JP dwellers can head over to Casa Verde for tacos, authentic Mexican fare, and a classic negroni down on the rocks with Barr Hilll Tom Cat gin, carpano, and campari. Every cocktail will contribute a donation to Lambda Legal, a non-profit committed to the civil rights of the LGBTQ community.
Catalyst
Catalyst is giving the classic negroni a Spanish twist with barrel-aged Lacuesta vermouth, whose smooth, round nature pairs perfectly with the aromatics of Monkey 47 gin and the bitterness of Campari. To top it off, they’re stirring Douglas Fir Brandy into the equation for a piney finish. Every glass will benefit Core, which supports medical research for digestive diseases to help save lives.
City Winery
City Winery is staying true to the traditional negroni, but adding its own, very personal spin — a ‘Tarragon and Back a Gin”, which is distilled by Dorchester’s GranTen specifically for the venue (while Campari and Dolin vermouth bring the drink back into familiar territory) Each sip goes towards Lambda Legal, a non-profit committed to the civil rights of the LGBTQ+ community.
Coppa
Coppa is rolling out three different variations of the bittersweet cocktail — the Classic, the Sbagliato, a campari and cinzano mixture topped up with bubbly prosecco, and the Rum-groni, a rum-based spirit forward cocktail with luxardo bitter bianco and cocchi americano. Pick any (or all three!) of your choosing, and you’ll be helping make a donation for the charity Lovin’ Spoonfuls.
DRINK
Belly up to the bar at Fort Point’s Drink any night, and the mixologists will be able to whip you up almost anything your heart desires on command, but for Negroni week, they’re sticking to the tried-and-true, utterly timeless classic (gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari). Your perfectly stirred and diluted beverage (up or on the rocks!) will help donations towards Lovin’ Spoonfuls, a terrific food rescue organization that prevents waste and helps feed people in need across Greater Boston.
Foundry on Elm
Get your fruit fix at Foundry on Elm with their Strawberry Rhubarb Negroni, which tastes just as good as it looks. The Davis Square gastropub is donating proceeds to Autism Speaks, an advocacy and support organization for individuals with autism and their families.
Grafton Group
For imbibers who prefer an emphasis on the sweet in bittersweet, all of the Grafton Group restaurants – that’s Grafton Street, The Hourly, Park Restaurant & Bar, Russell House Tavern, State Street Provisions and Temple Bar -will be whipping up a negroni variant called the Physic Wall, which features roasted pineapple-infused tequila instead of gin, alongside extremely sippable cocchi americano, which replaces its fortified wine counterpart. Campari rounds out the cocktail, and gives it that oh-so-distinguishable reddish hue. Park Restaurant & Bar will be donating proceeds to Autism Speaks, while its five sister restaurants will be supporting Lovin’ Spoonfuls.
The Hawthorne
The Hawthorne, nestled right below Kenmore’s Hotel Commonwealth, is stirring up a classic negroni alongside modern-day variations that’ll help raise funds for Core, a non-profit committed to fighting digestive diseases to save lives.
Grassona’s Italian
Grassona’s Italian is serving up their Nibgroni — an utterly decadent variant of the original bittersweet cocktail. The drink gets stirred up with rich, smooth, Bols Genever alongside sweet vermouth, and cocoa nib infused campari for a truly sippable treat that’ll benefit Lovin’ Spoonfuls.
La Piazza at Eataly
La Piazza at Eataly will be sporting various versions of the traditional cocktail including the Rhum Negroni which embraces more vegetal (over juniper) notes and the Oaxacan Negroni, which takes on the smoky characteristics of mezcal in lieu of gin. No matter which spirit you choose, your drink will help raise funds for Lovin’ Spoonfuls and feed food insecure people across Boston.
Les Sablons
Les Sablons is offering up their twist on the negroni with On Fleek, which uses the botanical, Dutch gin, Bols Genever alongside vermouth and raspberry-infused montenegro, standing in for its amaro counterpart while retaining that familiar reddish hue. Each negroni will help raise funds for Lovin’ Spoonfuls.
Little Donkey
Little Donkey is upgrading their frozen cocktail game to help donate profits towards the charity, Lovin’ Spoonfuls. Belly up on an especially sweltering day this week and cool down with their Frozen Sangroni, mixed up with aviation gin, campari, rose, white grape juice, and orange marmalade.
Menton
Menton is taking an amari-heavy approach to the cocktail with its Chef-Groni, which is anchored in gin, but swaps the lighter (yet still bittersweet!) Aperol for Campari, and the artichoke-flavored Cynar for Sweet Vermouth. The drink makes the perfect apertif so you can feel good while you do good. All of its profits will be donated to Boston based food rescue, Lovin’ Spoonfuls.
No. 9 Park
As classic and timely as No. 9 itself, the negroni at Barbara Lynch’s flagship on Beacon Hill will be stirred up in all its perfectly portioned and balanced goodness. Drink proceeds will go towards Lovin’ Spoonfuls, a Boston based non-profit that helps rescue and distribute food to those in need.
Noir
No fancy business here. Noir is keeping it classy with a signature negroni made with the usual suspects — campari, gin and sweet vermouth. The cocktail lounge in Harvard Square has decided to support Lovin’ Spoonfuls, and their donation to the nonprofit will help keep surplus food out of landfills and get it into the hands of hungry people.
Ocean Prime
Ocean Prime is sticking to the perfect marriage of gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari but offering the cocktail strained up in a coupe in lieu of rocks and finished off with an expressed orange peel. Proceeds from every drink will go towards Inspire Artistic Minds, which is a charity that provides scholarships and educational experiences to advance the arts.
The Painted Burro
The Painted Burro stays true to its roots with a negroni riff on par with its tequila-based bar program. Having aged for a year in a Campari barrel, the cocktail starts with Exotico Blacno Tequila and is stirred up with a Chipotle Campari, Carpano Bianco, spicy Chile liqueur, and a Bombay Sapphire rinse (for an appreciative nod towards the original drink). Proceeds from the special drink will go towards No Kid Hungry, a non-profit which works to solve the problems of child hunger and poverty around the world.
Puritan & Company
Cambridge’s Puritan & Co is elevating the negroni game with their Oaxaca Negroni, which favors smoky mezcal over botantical gin and embraces the cocktail’s bitter components with classic Campari and quinine-heavy cocchi barolo chinato. Proceeds from this sipper go towards Lovin’ Spoonfuls, which helps rescue and redistribute food for a good cause.
Southern Proper
All eyes will be on the Smoked Hickory Sweet Southern Negroni when someone in your group orders the special from the bar at Southern Proper. It’s a liquid looker that’ll photograph well and taste even better. Sip your way (slowly, for maximum enjoyment of course) to supporting Lovin’ Spoonfuls.
Sportello
Sportello’s debuting small tweaks to the traditional negroni without looking too unrecognizable — drinkers can choose between the barrel-aged cocktail, which will be served straight out of a Campari barrel, or the classic boulevardier, a negroni that subs bourbon for the lighter spirited gin. Whichever your choice, your drink will help raise funds for the non-profit, Lovin’ Spoonfuls.
Sweet Cheeks
Fenway’s beloved BBQ joint, Sweet Cheeks, has crafted up a negroni that’s reminiscent of the much-lauded classic while putting a spin with its own personal twist. Carpano and a house-smoked orange-infused Campari lends all the traditional flavors imbibers are looking for, while mezcal brings the drink up a notch with its smokiness. It’s the perfect drink to go alongside the restaurant’s smoked Texas meats and help donate funds for Lovin’ Spoonfuls.
Terra at Eataly
Terra’s getting creative this negroni week with three variants ranging from the spicy tequila-based Rosita 75, the strawberry rum-based Marchesa, and the Other’s Gold, which resembles a boulevardier with rye whiskey, Campari, and vermouth alongside light, but bittersweet aperol. Whatever’s your style, you’ll be helping donate towards a good cause for the non-profit, Lovin’ Spoonfuls.
Tiger Mama
Tiger Mama is offering up an Eastern twist on the classic Italian cocktail with the Rajah, a delightful blend of Santa Teresa 1796 anejo rum, East India Solera sherry, sweet + sour tamarind, cacao, and of course, campari, served up with an orange twist. Every glass sold will go towards a donation for Lovin’ Spoonfuls.
Toro
Toro is whipping up something extra-special this Negroni Week — each day of the week, they’ll be featuring one of their bartender’s own rendition of the classic cocktail to help raise funds for Lovin’ Spoonfuls. You’ll have to head in for yourself to try all of the other different variations they’re stirring up, but David’s negroni incorporates Bar Hill gin, Barbadillo sherry, Campari, and two bar spoons of mezcal and special edition Jagermeister.
