As Boston’s bars and restaurants remain closed amid the COVID-19 crisis, we’ve asked some of our favorite industry figures to share classic, easy-to-make drinks you can replicate at home. In return, we hope you’ll consider supporting the industry during this trying time; for instance, by purchasing a gift card to SRV.  

There’s always a Negroni on the menu at SRV. But what exactly goes into that mix of gin, Campari, and vermouth is subject to change with the weather.

“The reason we change the Negroni with the seasons is to show how a drink with such a simple recipe can be open to so many alterations,” says bar manager John Benevides.

Below, Benevides takes us on a tour of a year of SRV Negronis. From rich winter warmers to crisp summer sippers, all of these versions are easy to make if you can find the right booze—and you have plenty of Campari.

Winter 2018 to Spring 2019

“For the transition from winter to spring last year, our SRV Negroni used local Winter Gin from Short Path Distillery. The seasonal gin incorporates rosemary and a lot of hearty botanicals. For vermouth, we chose Alessio Vino Chinato from Tempus Fugit. It’s one my favorites and can hold up to more intense flavors. Lastly, we split the bitter component by blending Campari with St. George Spirits’ Bruto Americano. It’s made in California and is very intense. That extra bitter bite really rounded out the structure of this cocktail.”

Winter-Spring SRV Negroni
1 ounce Short Path Distillery Winter Gin
1 ounce Alessio Vino Chinato
¾ ounce Campari
¼ ounce St. George Spirits Bruto Americano

Combine ingredients in stirring glass filled with ice. Stir until well chilled, then strain into an old fashioned glass with ice. Garnish with orange twist. 

Late Spring to Early Summer 2019

“For the later spring season into summer, we split the vermouth, cutting Alessio Vermouth di Torino Rosso (the earthier of Alessio vermouths) with Montanaro Vermouth di Torino Rosso. Montanaro is a producer from the Piedmont region of Northern Italy, usually known for its Grappa. They use marsala wine in the base of their vermouths, [whose acidity] cuts back on the body of the Alessio Torino. For gin we chose Gunpowder Irish Gin, which incorporates a lot of botanicals that were brought along the Silk Road. The overall expression of this Negroni was floral and more medium-bodied compared to its fuller, wintry counterpart.”

Spring-Summer SRV Negroni
1 ounce Gunpowder Irish Gin
1 ounce Campari
½ ounce Alessio Vermouth di Torino Rosso
½ ounce Montanaro Vermouth di Torino Rosso

Combine ingredients in stirring glass filled with ice. Stir until well chilled, then strain into an old fashioned glass with ice. Garnish with orange twist. 

Summer to Early Fall 2019

“The summer Negronis of the past have been light and less intense overall. Who wants to drink a rich, herbaceous cocktail on a patio when it’s 90 degrees out? For our summer and early fall Negroni, we continued to blend vermouths and chose a local gin from Biddeford, Maine. Bimini Gin is citrus driven and marketed as a gin you would want to drink on a sunny day. This time the vermouth blend combined Lillet Rose Vermouth and Cocchi Vermouth di Torino. In this case, [only using] rose vermouth was too light and the Negroni was drinking too hot. The Cocchi Torino brought a bit more structure and balance.”

Summer-Fall SRV Negroni
1 ounce Bimini Gin
1 ounce Campari
½ ounce Lillet Rose Vermouth
½ ounce Cocchi Vermouth di Torino

Combine ingredients in stirring glass filled with ice. Stir until well chilled, then strain into an old fashioned glass with ice. Garnish with orange twist. 

 Fall 2019 to Winter 2020

“In the colder part of the year, people generally want bolder flavors, whether it’s a full-bodied red wine or a cocktail with darker spirits. For our most recent SRV Negroni, we went back to splitting the bitter component to create that richness. Citadelle Gin works as the base: it’s a delicious, cleaner-style gin, made by the folks over at Maison Ferrand, the famous grower-Cognac producer. It’s able to subtly blend [with] Yzaguirre Rojo Reserva Vermouth from Spain. This vermouth is aged for 12 months in rum barrels and has a blended aroma of floral citrus and warming spices. Lastly, we use our usual blend of Italian and American bitter [aperitifs].”

Fall-Winter SRV Negroni
1 ounce Citadelle Gin
1 ounce Yzaguirre Rojo Reserva Vermouth
¾ ounce Campari
¼ ounce Bruto Americano

Combine ingredients in stirring glass filled with ice. Stir until well chilled, then strain into an old fashioned glass with ice. Garnish with orange twist.