Negroni Workshop

Easy to make and refreshingly bitter, the Negroni is said to have been invented in Florence by the dauntless Italian Count Camillo Negroni in the early 20th century.  While at Bar Casoni in Florence, he demanded that the bartender strengthen his favorite cocktail, the Americano (https://www.liquor.com/recipes/americano/), by replacing the usual soda water with gin. To further differentiate the drink, the bartender also employed an orange peel rather than the typical lemon peel.

The count’s fateful substitution resulted in one of the most popular stirred drinks in history, as the Negronisits next to the Martini and Manhattan (https://www.liquor.com/recipes/manhattan-2/) in the pantheon of classic cocktails. It also has launched a thousand riffs... today the Negroni can be found in myriad iterations at restaurants and cocktail bars around the world.

That is because few cocktails have encouraged more frenzied experimentation than the beloved Negroniduring the course of its 100-year history.  There are more ways to tweak the Negroni than by simply swapping its base spirit. The type of vermouth used can have an impact on the outcome too. Pick one that is more bitter, herbal, floral or dry, and you’ll notice the difference

Spend this delightful afternoon with Telluride's own “Diamond” Dave, Craft Cocktail Curator, as you taste and discuss a multitude of his perfected Negroni recipes