Cold Brew Negroni

While I know (and love) many people who drink cold brew year-round, I don’t find myself craving cold, caffeinated beverages until the temperatures rise. Call it a Pavlovian response, or simply a limitation of my imagination, but the idea of ingesting ice cold coffee simply doesn’t resonate with me until I’ve unpacked my sundresses and cranked up the air conditioning. Likewise, this Cold Brew Negroni from Nashville’s Luogo isn’t necessarily on my radar in, say, December, but it happens to be one of my favorite things to drink in the summertime.

Making cold brew-infused Campari might seem like a tedious step, but it’s actually quite straightforward, and is critical to this Negroni. Simply add a bag of cold brew — I’m partial to these pouches from Brooklyn-based Partners Coffee, one of my favorite roasteries — to a liter bottle of Campari, and find something else to do for two hours. The result is a wonderfully caffeinated take on this classic, bittersweet aperitif that meshes perfectly with sweet vermouth and smoky, slightly herbaceous black walnut bitters. While the team at Luogo calls for Broker’s gin, you should feel free to experiment with other gins you might have in your bar, but bear in mind that it’s worth using the good stuff here, as gin is one part of this otherwise simple, three-part cocktail recipe. — Oset Babür-Winter