Negroni Week has started and is running from September 16th to the 22nd, 2024. All week long, bars and restaurants from around the world will be mixing classic Negronis and their own variations in support of the charitable organization, Slow Food.
I have participated in Negroni Week festivities in previous years, but only this year am I realizing that it is tied to a charitable organization. Slow Food’s mission is to foster a more sustainable and equitable world of food and drink. Their goal is to see a world “where everyone can enjoy food and beverage that is good for them, good for the people who produce it, and good for the planet.” (As taken from the Negroni week website).
“Slow Food unites the joy of food and beverage with the pursuit of justice. The organization defends cultural and biological diversity, promotes food education and the transfer of traditional knowledge and skills, and advocates for more just and equitable food policies. Among Slow Food’s many programs are the Slow Food Cooks’ Alliance, Coffee Coalition, Wine Coalition, and Snail of Approval—active networks that are passionate about creating food and beverage spaces that are good, clean, and fair for all. In 2023, Slow Food also launched the Negroni Week Fund to support projects that advance cultural and biological diversity and that focus on community-based food and beverage education and knowledge exchange.”
So now I had even more reason to go out for a drink.
For the first day launch of Negroni week in Vancouver, I was invited out to Copperpenny’s industry-only night. A last minute decision held on Monday, when they are normally closed. Here, invited guests were able to try their take on one of the most well-known gin cocktails, plus other cocktails that best highlight the quality of their award-winning gin.
If you have never been before their tasting room is stunning. Safari meets 20’s flapper aesthetic with rich wallpaper and gold and copper embellishments. We sat at the bar over looking the wall of bottles, vintage glassware and medals.
We started with the classic Social Negroni prepared with their flagship No. 005 Social Gin, Sweet Vermouth, and Campari. Their gin is intentionally crafted to have the perfect botanical bill for the perfect Negroni, and it shows. Sweet and subtle, with a warm-climate juniper notes, and a light citrus.
Honestly, I am not a big fan of Negronis for their medical taste, hidden behind overwhelming smoked orange notes. However, this was a great one and well-balanced. I drank every drop and would say this is my favourite to date.
A fun take on the Negroni is their Negroni Slush. The same great flavour above, but in a fun, frosty, and icy mix. It goes down easier has the adult version of a slurpee.
And you can’t visit Copperpenny without trying their Signature No. 005 G&T. Once again, their social gin is a cocktail gin, meaning it is caveat-free and delivers amazing, balanced flavour and body to every cocktail it goes into. So good that it has won them the UK Gin Masters award, giving them the international notoriety they deserve. This was a classic, clean, and crisp gin and tonic. Uncomplicated and refreshing.
Looking for something with a little more body, but with the same fizzy effervescent nature as above, then look to their Hugo Spritz. No. 005 Social Gin, St. Germain, Lemon, and Prosecco.
This is a lighter cocktail this is an even blend of sweet and bitter with undertones of grassy herbs and overtones of citrus.
All these cocktails are readily and regularly available at Copperpenny’s distillery bar. And for Negroni week they will also be offering up Negroni Flights and rounding out the week with a Masterclass.
This is the Evolution of the Negroni Masterclass hosted by Copperpenny. In house bar Director Tarquin Melnyk and Robyn Gray will lead ticket holders through the evolution of the iconic Negroni. Where it came from, aperitivo, amaro and its role in the past and modern-day dining. Plus all the many stories and lore surrounding it.
Held on September 22nd in their own one-of-a-kind North Shore speakeasy cellar. $75 per person, the session will start with a 30-minute cocktail meet and greet at 6:30pm, followed by the class from 7-8pm. For those interested check out the link below. I hear there will be 4 unique cocktails to try, and outside the traditional way, they are not mentioned above.
Copperpenny Distilling Co.
288 Esplanade E Unit 103, North Vancouver, BC V7L 1A3
(778) 802-3500
copperpennydistilling.com
