One Bottle One Drink – Bitter Poem
I cannot help myself, but I keep coming up with Negroni variations. I know you could argue, that without the sweet vermouth this is not a Negroni anymore, hence the new name. Nevertheless, as other drinks like Fredrik Yarm’s Caustic Negroni shows, Rhabarbero works excellent with anything bitter / other Amaros.
Still, I thought that replacing sweet vermouth with the very bitter Zucca would throw the drink off its balance. Yet, it does work. After all, Zucca has a similar ABV as sweet vermouth. Combine this with a stronger gin, like the excellent Hayman’s Navy Strength and I am even fine with an equal parts ratio. I also took the liberty of throwing in some lavender bitters.
3 cl Italian Red Bitter
3 cl Zucca Rhabarbero
Stir – strain – chilled Old-Fashioned glass over ice cubes;
Garnish: Orange Twist;
Song: Cold War Kids – Bitter Poem;
As mentioned above, the recipe of the “Bitter Poem” works. Yes, this is a bitter drink, but it is still balanced. On top of that, it was the best drink I tried in this mixing session. You definitely get the Negroni reference in the taste, but at the same time the Rhabarbero adds another layer of complexity.
