Anthony Bourdain's legacy still looms large over our meals years after his untimely passing. It also appears that public preferences now match the legendary chef and raconteur's taste in cocktails. In an interview for in 2016, Bourdain was enthused about the Negroni as he encountered it in his travels while taping the CNN TV series " ," calling it a "perfect drink.
" During the interview, Bourdain infamously snarked on cocktail culture, "You know the word 'artisanal'? It's almost a warning these days. It means the neighborhood is going bad." He noted that to really be artisanal meant creating something by hand and with great care, often in a routine perfected over decades.
Along those lines, part of Bourdain's love for the Negroni came from its curated simplicity, as it traditionally only contains three ingredients: gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. Bourdain acknowledged not being a fan of any of those three things individually, but when combined, the resulting drink worked for him. Bourdain also cautioned the curious that the negroni is a "grown-up drink," noting, "That first sip is confusing and not particularly pleasant, but man, it grows on you.
" This writer concurs that as one's cocktail palate evolves, drinking a negroni reveals a complex flavor combination that's part bitter, part smooth and sweet, and altogether bracingly refreshing. The initial taste is a mouthful of herbs brought to us by the Campari, with that sensation giving way to the sweet vermouth and a bit of .