If the martini is the little black dress of drinks, the Negroni is a sequined strapless gown — not for everyone, but for those who can pull it off, a sexy stunner. Sticky, sweet, bitter, beautiful, this cocktail traditionally made from gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth beguiles bartenders as it seems so simple, yet suggests so many variations (the drink itself is a twist on the Americano).
So it’s little surprise that the drink gets its own week (June 1-7), and that a Central Coast competition was held in its honor, with the winner chosen from 14 bartenders from Oxnard to SLO scoring a trip to New Orleans for the Tales of the Cocktail festival. The Good Lion, host bar for the event sponsored by liquor giants Lucas Bols (Damrak Gin and Bols Genever) and Infinium Spirits (Carpano Antica), was a-buzz all afternoon on June 4 with nervous mixologists and their family, friends, and fans.
The judges were three hotshots from LA: Aidan Demarest, owner of Liquid Assets, who is currently working on Little Toni’s in North Hollywood; Genie Gore, from Melrose Umbrella Company; and Anna Knudsen from Sassafras, who was recently chosen as one of Zagat’s 30 under 30 in Los Angeles. “Yes, murder your competition,” Knudsen said prior to the contest, “but do it with kindness. We’re going to blow all the other states out of the water because we’ve got heart.”