INTEL: WHERE TO GO FOR NEGRONI WEEK
A Negroni trio. | Photo: Victoria Sedefian/The Dishing. Location: 353 cocktail bar in Troy. Bangles by Morro Jewelry.
Any bar worth its salt will make you a classic Negroni, the bittersweet, equal-parts gin, sweet vermouth + Campari Italian aperitif.
This week—September 22 - 28, 2025—is the 12th Annual Negroni Week (sponsored by Campari and Imbibe magazine) where participating bars show off Negroni variations while raising money for Slow Food USA. We spotlight the (very) few bars participating in upstate NY and ask Anton Kinlock of Lone Wolf in Kingston + Brent Hunter of 353 in Troy to weigh in on the power of the Negroni.
Words/interview: Susie Davidson Powell
Story photos: Victoria Sedefian/The Dishing.
*Photo of Anton Kinloch: Provided; White Negroni with pansy at Familiar Creature by Susie Davidson/The Dishing
Most of us know the Negroni is attributed to a Count Camillo Negroni who, in Florence, requested a stiff version of an Americano (equal parts Campari, sweet vermouth and soda water) with gin replacing the soda. Over the years, other versions have become popular: A classic Boulevardier is a Negroni with bourbon or rye placing gin, the modern Tegroni subs in tequila, and a Kingston Negroni subs rum. There are more variations like Mezcal and Suze in a White Negroni, cold brew coffee making itself at home as a fourth ingredient in the mix, or a lighter sparkling Negroni Sbagliato topped with bubbly. Of course, purists know a Negroni of any ilk is stirred, not shaken — unless you want a Negroni Shakerato, a colder, more diluted version that unavoidably disturbs the delicate balance.
Who’s participating in Negroni Week upstate? We’ve got you covered from Troy to Beacon.
353, Troy | Visit
This slim bar goes boldly into Negroni Week with not 10 variations on their specialty Negroni menu from a Chocolate and Almond Autumn Negroni to a Cafe Negroni and High & Dry. Go with friends and try them all.Klocke Estate, Claverack | Visit | Review
This stunning estate distillery deploys their own brand vermouth in their Negroni cocktail. Go for the views and cocktails on the porch or at the bar, or make reservations for dinner in the on-site restaurant.Via Cassia, Hudson | Visit | Review
This Italian restaurant with Californian and Mediterranean influences has partnered with the award-winning Quattro Gatto gin, an Italian gin produced by a local couple in Germantown. The Quattro Gatto Negroni uses their classico gin, Campari, sweet red vermouth and, unexpectedly, 2 to 4 drops of aged balsamic vinegar for depth.Lone Wolf, Kingston | Visit
Arguably, the benchmark in craft cocktails in the Hudson Valley, owner-bartender Anton Kinloch is not one to mince his words when it comes to ingredients, ice and balance. Throughout the week, Kinloch and team will be rolling out variations on the Negroni theme. Of course, if you happen to go on a Sunday, you’ll be treated to their rum-focused Fuschia Tiki cocktail menu in homage to their former New Paltz tiki bar.The Piggy Bank, Beacon | Visit
With the re-opening of The Piggy Bank 2.0, Beacon once again has BBQ. Lena + Kamel Jamal, who also own Palestinian restaurant Ziatun among their hospitality brand, and a cannabis dispensary across from the Piggy Bank) partnered with friend Greg Colen of Draught Industries. While they fire up the smoker for all things ‘cue, sip on a Whistlepig Boulevardier or classic Negroni at the bar.Honorable Mention:
Hamlet & Ghost + Familiar Creature, Saratoga Springs | Visit | Tastemaker interview
These siblings bars have long participated in Negroni Week and although they aren’t on the Campari list for 2025, their Negroni variations are top notch. In particular, the White Negroni at Familiar Creature takes liberties with Cocchi Americano bianco vermouth (its quinine and citrus invigorate the taste) and a softer bitter component by splitting a half-ounce of Suze and a quarter-ounce of Poli Camomilla, a sweet grappa made with chamomile flowers. The light sweetness of the Suze is diffused by citrus in the vermouth and botanicals in the Ford’s gin, while Poli Camomillo layers aromatic honey and chamomile tea notes. Garnished with a purple pansy. It’s a definite win.
WE ASK THE NEGRONI EXPERTS:
Anton Kinloch + Brent Hunter
Anton Kinloch of Lone Wolf, Kingston. | Photo provided.
THE DISHING: Anton, why does Lone Wolf participate in Negroni Week?
“Negroni Week is like the world’s most stylish group hug — bartenders and drinkers everywhere are clinking glasses for a good cause, the Slow Food nonprofit. I love that it puts a classic cocktail front and center and turns a simple drink into a shared moment across the globe.
Of course, the Negroni itself is a bartender’s dream: an equal parts structure that can be divided up into multiple spirits bases. At its heart it’s gin, vermouth, and Campari, but swap the gin, tweak the vermouth, split the base with mezcal or rum or fat-wash the Campari or vermouth or even the base spirit, and suddenly you’ve got something familiar but completely new. It’s the perfect canvas for highlighting the creativity of a bartender without losing the soul of the cocktail itself. So all we long we’ll be featuring Negroni variants and raising a glass to a good cause!”
THE DISHING: Brent, why do you participate in Negroni Week + what’s on your Negroni menu?
“I was first introduced to the Negroni when I worked for the late Joe Gleason who owned The Ripe Tomato in Malta, N.Y. He was a bit of mentor for me at the time and inspired me to one day open my bar centered on classic cocktails. His guidance and knowledge was super impactful to where I am now. The Negroni was his pre-dinner drink, so participating in Negroni week is, for me, a way to remember and honor the time I spent working for him.
This week on our Negroni menu, we obviously feature the classic cocktail but we also have a lot of the classic riffs: the Americano, the Boulevardier, the Sbagliato, and White Negroni. One of our highlighted variations is a strawberry Negroni. We recommend it for first time Negroni drinkers who want something a little bit more approachable, that’s not so bitter and has Bitter Bianca (botanical aperitif) as a substitute for the Campari, and strawberry liqueur as a substitute for sweet vermouth.
Another menu highlight is our White Mezcal Negroni where we sub Mezcal for gin. The Mezcal just adds that smokiness to the cocktail and it goes along great with Suze, a French aperitif, so it’s smoky and herbal. An excellent cocktail.”