Hello readers and anyone who has randomly stumbled upon my blog for the 1st time! I wanted to let you know what’s new for Curious Appetite’s Florentine Gourmet Club: The Negroni Box! Why come to Florence when we can send one of the world’s best Negroni to your doorstep? The Negroni Club is a curated box of all you need to make a Negroni with recipes, info sheets, tools and of course- the booze! This is a unique gift idea from Italy envisioned for the vermouth, bitter & gin enthusiasts around the world. A quick re-cap: the Food Club is a curated seasonal culinary box full of the best Italian foods from gold quality parmigiano-reggiano, truffles, Tuscan pecorini (sheep’s milk cheese), aged balsamic vinegar and new Tuscan EV Olive Oil from the markets of Florence to curious appetite’s doorsteps across the ocean. The original announcement about the Food Club can be read more info HERE -or you can just skip everything and join HERE
Along with the help of a stellar bartender in Florence- we developed a Negroni Box to the Gourmet Club’s gamma.
Cut to the chase ya lush- what’s a Negroni box?! The Negroni box is a kit which includes everything you need to make a negroni: tools like a mixing glass & strainer plus the artisanal booze & craft spirits for one of the best negroni in the world. Recipes & informational sheets accompany every box so you can make a Negroni just like mixologists in Florence, while learning about small, independent distilleries whose bottles are hard to find abroad.
Why did you just get superlative- you mean I can have the best negroni in the world mailed to me? Florence is the home of the Negroni, born here circa 1919. And I teamed up with one of Florence’s premier bartenders, Julian Biondi who helped greatly to concoct this club, including a stellar negroni using lesser-known, quality-driven craft bottles.
Julian has won competitions such as Florence Cocktail Week in 2016, gives master spirits classes, and was one of the head barmen at Mad Souls & Spirits, one of the bars in San Frediano recently listed on Lonely Planet thanks to my pal Girl in Florence as one of the World’s Coolest Neighborhoods. So basically, that makes Julian one of the coolest bartenders in the world, and who is supplying the recipe for one of the best craft negronis you’ll lay lips on. I know, you want to join the club right now.
I’m super especially excited for the Negroni Box- as I am obsessed with artisanal vermouths and craft bitters, and think Italy produces praise-worthy gin. Think about it- Italy grows incredible botanicals- it only makes sense to have respectable gin! Negroni is my preferred cocktail (liver prefers water but he’s BORRRRING) so hence the latest passion project!
No Campari will be in this box, but rather a craft bitter liquor made with actual infused botanicals rather than sugar, “natural” flavors & artificial colors which make up 75% of industrial hooch Campari (the other 25% alcohol). Bitters & Vermouths are some of the legendary Italian products which make my heart flutter and liver damn me!
Julian made sure while developing the recipe that each ingredient would work harmoniously. Vogue vermouths and craft bitters are all the rage, but one- notably an expert mixologist- must know which hooch goes best to make an ideal marriage.You can’t just mix trendy vermouths & bitters, or as they say in Italian “fai un casino se non stai attento a come si sposa gli ingredienti” Italians are sticklers for balance & are naturally super tasters.
As much as I lament about certain Italian’s stubbornness towards innovation & international, yet they constantly impress me with their natural born sense of balance. Vermouth is an aromatized wine, meaning herbs & spices are added and every distiller has their own proprietary blend. I can’t stress enough that a professional needs to be in charge of whipping up a craft negroni!
I left it to the expert Julian who knows the intricate details of smaller distillers in Italy and their proprietary recipes to pick a vermouth & bitter with a Tuscan-made gin which would all compliment each other & pair well.
HOW TO JOIN: You can join by visiting this page and filling out the form at the bottom of the page, or contacting us via the form below.
If you know a Negroni enthusiast who has the slightest bit of adoration for Florence, this is THE gift to give.
In your boozy trust,
Curious Appetite
