Negroni Week 2016 in Toronto

There’s nothing quite like a finely mixed, refreshing cocktail to whet the appetite before a fine meal, is there?

Negroni Week is finally here, in perfect alignment with balmy summer evening mixers and pristine patio weather. Since launching in 2013 the event has raised considerable funds for charities and includes well over 6000 participating venues from all across the globe from June 6th to June 12th, 2016.

Classic cocktails have been making a real comeback these days, and the timeless Negroni is certainly no exception. This dry, yet punchy Italian concoction is believed to have originated in Florence and remains an indispensable item on any cocktail menu. With just three simple ingredients -- campari, gin and vermouth -- that make up it’s foundation, the possibilities for variation and personal touches are virtually limitless for the enlightened bartender or cocktail connoisseur.

Whether it’s a pre-dinner drink you’re after, or you’re just in time for happy hour, here’s three of my top favourite venues in downtown Toronto that’ll shake up the best Negroni aperitifs for you.

Rush Lane & Co.

Described most often as a “modernist snack bar and booze lab,” Rush Lane’s bartenders have earned themselves a wide reputation for experimental feats of alcoholic alchemy. Rush Lane’s skilled mixologists also know their way around the classics, serving their Beefeater-based Negroni cocktails on tap

Parts n’ Labour

Known primarily for their unmatched burgers and mouth-watering meat dishes, this long-time Toronto favourite also boasts an adventurous staff of expert bartenders that don’t mind catering to your palate. The PNL take on the classic Negroni cocktail is fine tuned to whisk your tongue away ahead of the delicious entrees on offer here, and is of course, deliciously stiff.

dBar

Aside from it’s chic, top-scale modern vibe and three-Michelin starred chef, dBar has excellent cocktails on offer helpfully pre-arranged into four distinct categories. The ‘Classic’ section of this menu is where you’ll find the Neo Negroni. Substituting the sweet vermouth component for dry vermouth and chartreuse, dBar’s fresh take on an old favourite uses specially designed glasses to display the icy sphere over which the Neo is poured.