The story behind the Boukman White Negroni
The Negroni is one of the most enduring cocktail classics, becoming even more popular in the last twenty years and subject to endless variations. It's unusual among top cocktails because of its strongly bittersweet flavor, which still wins it as many fans as enemies.
With the Boukman White Negroni, we were inspired by how Wayne Collins and Nick Blacknell reinvented the Italian classic to make it drier, more complex in taste and well, more French. First, the starting point is a different botanical spirit to gin, Boukman Botanical Rhum, distilled in Haiti from fresh cane juice and infused with local barks, giving a long, dry flavor just a hint of bitterness. Second, for the bitter element use Suze, an earthy liqueur made from gentian roots harvested in the mountains of France's Massif Central. Finally, instead of red vermouth, take Lillet Blanc, an apéritif made from white Bordeaux wine and bitter orange peel from Haiti.
Stir them all together in equal parts over ice, add a twist of lemon peel and there you have it, a modern classic cocktail with a French Créole touch.
Ingredients for the Boukman White Negroni:
Gentian liqueur like Suze, or Salers
Lillet Blanc, or at a push Vermouth Blanc
Lemon Peel
Made by bartender Chelsea Barrett at Pearl’s Pearl's Social & Billy Club, Brooklyn
