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Overview
A good Negroni is all about balance. It's a balance of three fine liquors — gin, Campari and vermouth — that toe the very fine line between being much too bitter and just bitter enough. It's always been about this balance; one of the first recorded reports of the Negroni came from Orson Welles in 1947. While working in Rome, he wrote, "The bitters are excellent for your liver, the gin is bad for you. They balance each other." We're happy to take his word for it.
Sixty years later, bartenders are still perfecting the Negroni. Not one for the faint-hearted, it's a serious cocktail for serious drinkers. But where does one get not just a good but the best Negroni in Sydney?
Here are ten bars we think could battle it out for the top prize. And with Negroni Week running from June 6-12, there's no better time to try them out — participating bars will even donate $1 from every Negroni ordered that week to a charity of their choice.
CASONI
Sitting just behind Oxford Street on a little corner next to the courthouse behind Taylor Square, Casoni is the perfect spot for a mid-week plate of house-made pasta. Step into the smart little dining room, done in a Scandi-industrial palette of grey, white and leatherwood honey-coloured timber. Casoni is one of the few spots in Sydney doing a Negroni on tap, so make yourself comfortable and fill 'er up.
THE GRETZ
By the same folks as and just a few doors down from Hartsyard, The Gretz is the latest member of the family for husband-and-wife team Gregory Llewellyn and Naomi Hart. The Gretz is a rowdy, popular, American-styled bar which serves cheesy baked clams and homemade jerky. But for Negroni Week, they'll be raising funds for Gunawirra with a separate menu running concurrent with the full menu, focusing on Negronis — with a couple of in-house variations.
EASY EIGHT
Easy Eight is the much anticipated second release by the Mojo Record Bar crew. The kitchen lineup stars Harry Stockdale-Powell (ex-Rockpool, Marque) and Jack Bathurst (ex-Sepia, Toko, Becasse), who have produced an accessible, shareable menu with just a hint of Cajuna flava. Easy Eight are doing three featured Negronis for Negroni Week: a Classic, White or Smokey Negroni (this one's made with mezcal). Their chosen charity is Blacktown Women's and Girls' Health Centre Inc.
BAR BROSE
Opened on Victoria Street in April, Bar Brosé is the newest French-focused eatery from the ACME team — and the logical progression for the former Passage space. Head chef Analiese Gregory, formerly of Quay, is at the helm. It's a mature (but not old 'n' fusty) space for all walks; somewhere you can make your way through a measured, unpretentious cocktail list on a killer date. Bar Brose's vegetable-infused Negroni on the permanent menu is a stunner, made with beetroot Tanqueray.
THE HAZY ROSE
One of our favourite Darlinghurst cocktail bars; a cosy realm of wooden benches, red curtains, art deco Diana lamps and hooks for your coat. Not only that, but the faces behind the bar are friendly — not something we see as much as we'd like. For Negroni Week, The Hazy Rose is doing barrel-aged Negronis with Amaro, Campari and local Australian gin. They're also doing Negroni Flights: White Negroni, Classic Negroni and Amaro Negroni, and they're raising money for Blackdog Institute.
EAU DE VIE
No cocktail round-up would be complete without these guys. While not technically a speakeasy, Eau de Vie is about as close as you can get to the guilty pleasures of Boardwalk Empire. This Prohibition-style bar is tucked away at the back of the Kirketon Hotel. For Negroni Week, Eau de Vie is doing cold drip Negronis ($22) with gin, Campari, house Vermouth and cold drip coffee — raising funds for the Breast Cancer Institute of Australia.
THE CORNER HOUSE
The Corner House in Bondi harks back to its former incarnation as the Bondi tram stop and the bygone days of a less slick Sydney, with salvaged railway tracks, wooden ferry pews and acid-treated steel floors. The modern Italian style food that swans out of the nothing-to-hide open kitchen is a balanced blend of rustic and refined. For Negroni Week, the Corner House will be doing a few variations on the Negroni, raising money for Ted Noffs.
MAYBE FRANK
Pizza Mario had long been considered a big cheese in the Sydney pizza scene, so it came as some surprise to learn they had abandoned their original outpost in Surry Hills in June. The site has already been taken over by a vibrant new Roman-style pizzeria, Maybe Frank. Their all-you-can-eat Tuesday night represents some of the best value that Bourke Street has ever seen, and it can also help you deal with any post-Mario's trauma you may be experiencing. Maybe Frank will be serving Negronis all week at a special Negroni Week price, raising money for the Sydney Children's Hospital.
VASCO
Take the Negroni back to its roots at Vasco. Run by Max Greco, former head bartender at Eau-de-Vie, this bar is driven by two obsessions: Italy and rock 'n' roll. Drinks menus are presented on vintage vinyl covers, Fender stools function as bar seating and there's a jukebox that works. The walls are straight out of a green room — plastered with photos, records and rock memorabilia. The Vasco team won't be changing the recipe for Negroni Week, but they'll be raising money for Unicef, so it'll taste even better.
THE BAXTER INN
So Baxter's is known first and foremost as a whiskey joint. But these guys hands down make one of the best Negronis in Sydney — and those free pretzels don't hurt either. Find your way into the CBD basement, which resembles a kind of turn-of-the-century father's study. Think bare brick walls, prints of boxers and horses, fog horns, coin machines and pre-war blues.
Want to learn more about Negronis? Brush up on your history.
By the Concrete Playground team.