The Brutoni. Brutalism in a glass.

It's a cold, rainy, and absolutely miserable day here in Boston. Not exactly Negroni weather. But for some people, like Mr. Don't Bruise the Booze, it's always Negroni weather. And much like Brutalism, The Negroni (and Campari) is a polarizing cocktail. People either love it or hate it. So it only seems appropriate to pair a post about Brutalism, the architectural style people either love or hate, with a Negroni. Did you miss the lastest post about Brutalism? Check it out here. But this particular take on the Negroni, uses the aperitif Bruto Americano instead of Campari. Get it? What is Bruto Americano you ask? Like Campari, it's a bitter, so its flavor profile is very similar, but with a little more complexity in my opinion. The bitter is not as quite as forceful, so you can taste subtle hints of sherry, carmel, and other flavors. But the main difference between Bruto Americano and Campari is that Bruto Americano is made from all natural ingredients and gets its color from the cochineal insect, which is why its color is not the same brilliant red that Campari is. Campari gets its red color from a chemical dye. Originally, Campari also used the cochineal insect for color, but at some point they switched to a chemical for their trademark red. I prefer the flavor of Bruto Americano, over Campari. So while I love the brilliant scarlet of a Negroni made with Campari, the Bruto Americano Negroni is the only way I like my Negroni now.

Obvs, the Brutoni is made the same way you make a Negroni; one to one to one Bruto, Sweet Vermouth, Gin. There's no need to use an artisanal gin here. Any of your big brands are fine. But I do like to use a high quality sweet vermouth like Dolin.

Recipe 1oz. Bruto Americano 1oz. Sweet Vermouth 1oz. Gin

Stir ingredients in a mixing glass and pour into an old fashioned glass over a single rock or straight up in a chilled coupe. Your call. Garnish with lemon, orange or better yet a blood orange if you can get it.