A Bitter Week: Negronis, Underberg, and Amaro
By Melissa McEwen in Food on Jun 2, 2014 4:10PM
If bitter flavors are your thing, this week is the week for you. On Monday night, Sportsman’s Club is featuring cocktails made with Underberg, a German digestif bitter that gives Malört a run for its money. It also happens to be Negroni Week, celebrating the classic cocktail made with the marvelously complex Campari, and CH Distillery has released their own amaro, a bitter-sweet herbal liqueur.
Underberg comes in cute tiny bottles best enjoyed after a large decadent meal. Like most bitter drinks, it has a medicinal history, and a bracingly medicinal taste. It’s not often seen in cocktails, as it can be tough to balance, but on Monday June 2, guest bartender Tyler Fry of The Violet Hour will host a Underberg Takeüber at The Sportsman's Club (948 N Western Ave.) to serve cocktails like the Underberg Old Fashioned - made with Very Old Barton bourbon and demerara syrup.
A Negroni is a brightly colored cocktail made with vermouth, gin and Campari - a red liqueur made with bitter herbs and fruit. It has a pleasantly balanced bitterness reminiscent of citrus peels, which are used as a garnish. It’s not for everyone, but if you love it or simply want to try it, Imbibe Magazine and Campari have organized a Negroni Week that starts today. Participating bars are serving up their own takes on the cocktail, including Cere’s Table (3124 N. Broadway Street.) with “The Lazy Hitman,” a blood orange Negroni made with Fords Gin.
On June 6, 2 Sparrows (553 W Diversey Pkwy.) is hosting a Negroni Social. For $20, you get a Negroni and a selection of bites from the kitchen. Beverage Director Ryne Schofstal will be preparing both classic and custom Negronis. Tickets can be reserved by calling (773) 234-2320, and they will also be available at the door.
Try your hand at mixing your own with our sparkling negroni and mezcal negroni recipes.
Italians often cap off a dinner with amaro, a rich and bittersweet digestif made with a botanist’s delight of plants. CH Distillery (564 W Randolph St.) now has their own amaro, made with gentian root and grapefruit peel from Rare Tea Cellar, Madagascar cocoa nibs from Ethereal Confections in Woodstock, and clover honey from Hawk Hill Bee Farm in Marengo. It’s available straight or in cocktails like the Roman Holiday, which pairs it with their Curaçao and London Dry Gin.