Negroni Week: Get ready for Negroni ice cream, cocktails and burgers

Today marks the start of Campari America and Imbibe Magazine’s fourth annual Negroni Week, a worldwide, weeklong celebration of the classic Italian cocktail.

While you may stir up a Negroni year-round (equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth), this is the time when bars all over the world create special dishes and cocktails to celebrate the drink. This year, more than 5,000 bars will participate. Each one partners with a charity and pledges to donate a certain amount for each Negroni or Negroni-related item sold.

This year, bars in Los Angeles and Orange County have come up drinks and dishes as wacky as a Negroni ice cream, and even a Negroni burger.

Here’s a rundown of places participating through Sunday. Feel free to drink a couple — it’s for charity. Just have your designated driver ready.

And if you want to mix a Negroni at home, here’s a video and a recipe.

Baldoria: The new Little Tokyo restaurant has created a series of bottled Negroni cocktails for the event, including the Sargent Pepper’s Negroni, made with yellow Chartreuse-infused with jalapenos, Dolin sweet vermouth and gin; the Smokey Negroni, aka “Da KG,” made with Del Maguey mezcal, Aperol, Giffard elderflower and Carpano Antica; a White Negroni with Campari caviar garnish, made with gin, Salers and Dolin Blanc; and the Cafe Campari with a Campari powder rim, made with Punt e Mes and Campari. The restaurant is also making a strawberry cream semifreddo garnished with Campari dust. 243 S. San Pedro St., Los Angeles, (213) 947-3329.

Bar Toscana: This Brentwood bar has created no less than seven drinks for Negroni Week. There’s a Camparino made with Bulldog gin, Amaro Braulio, Cinzano 1757 and Campari; a classic Negroni; a barrel-aged Negroni; a Negroski with basil-infused vodka; a Negronito with Espadin mezcal; and a Negroni Antico with Martin Miller’s gin, Punt e Mes, Carpano Antica and Campari. The bar will also have two events: Apertivo Italiano hosted by Campari, Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., with three specialty cocktails and complimentary small bites; and an Apertivo Italiano hosted by Carpano Antica and Fratelli Branca, Wednesday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., with three special cocktails and complimentary small bites. 11633 San Vicente Blvd. #100, Los Angeles, (310) 820-2448, www.bartoscana.com.

The Bellwether: The San Fernando Valley restaurant will be serving three types of Negronis, including a grapefruit Negroni, white Negroni and Ventura Boulevardier. For every drink sold, $2 will go toward the Boxer Rescue L.A., an organization that shelters and helps find homes for homeless boxers. 13251 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, (818) 285-8184, www.thebellwetherla.com.

The Blind Rabbit: The Anaheim Packing House venue will have four special cocktails, including the Everlasting Gobstopper, made with vanilla-infused Campari, bourbon ruby Port and orange bitters (garnished with a housemade Campari sucker); the Coffee Negroni, made with Appleton Especial rum, Punte Mes, Campari and Koloa coffee rum (garnished with grated coffee bean); a Negroni made with Montenegro Amaro, Campari, BlackStrap rum and black walnut bitters (garnished with shaved chocolate); and the Negronilada, made with peanut fat-washed bourbon, pineapple juice, Campari, Martini Rossi, coconut cream and vanilla tincture (garnished with housemade Negroni gummy bears). 440 S .Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim, www.theblindrabbit.com.

Eveleigh: The restaurant will serve three drinks for Negroni Week, including the Negroni Fantasma, made with Aviation gin, Salers Gentiane, Dolin Blanc and fresh lemon and thyme; House Negroni, made with Plymouth navy-strength gin, Cocchi Torino, Campari and a flamed orange twist; and the Negroni Zapatista, made with Vida mezcal, Aperol, Barolo Chinato, salt and a grapefruit twist. 8752 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, (424) 239-1630, www.theeveleigh.com.

The Factory Kitchen: Assistant General Manager Andrew Grivas has created a drink called the Sfactory 1923 made with St. George Terroir gin, Gran Classico and Carpana Antica. 1300 Factory Place, Los Angeles, (213) 996-6000, www.thefactorykitchen.com.

Herringbone: Brian Malarkey’s Santa Monica restaurant will donate $1 of every classic Negroni sold to the Los Angeles National Food Bank. 1755 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, (310) 971- 4460, www.herringboneeats.com.

Ivory on Sunset: The bar will be mixing up classic Negronis for the week, and $1 of every Negroni sold will benefit the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. 8440 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 848-6000, www.ivoryonsunset.com.

Mesa: The restaurant and bar will host a Negroni tasting at the Artistic Mind’s Opening Celebration tonight from 6 to 9. Tickets are available at www.inspireartisticminds.org/tickets. 725 Baker St. Costa Mesa, (714) 557 -6700, www.mesacostamesa.com.

Obica Santa Monica: The restaurant will serve a fresh thyme Negroni, made with Campari, infused Thyme gin, Vermont Punt e Mes and Amaro Cynar. 606 Broadway, Santa Monica, (310) 393-6633, www.obica.com.

Sonny’s Hideaway: Bartender Adam Reagan created the Zirconia, made with Kin white whiskey, Breckenridge bitter and Dolin Blanc. 5137 York Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 255-2000, www.sonnyshideaway.com.

Sprinkles ice cream: It was only a matter of time before someone made Negroni ice cream. The Sprinkles version is called the orange blossom Negroni, made with an orange blossom ice cream laced with a Negroni ribbon of gin, vermouth and Campari. 9631 S. Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, (310) 274-7890, www.sprinkles.com.

Umami Burger: The burger chain has created a Negroni BBQ burger, made with a beef and wild mushroom patty, Campari and Cola BBQ sauce and kale slaw. Yes: kale slaw. Multiple locations at www.umamiburger.com.

A full list of participating Los Angeles bars is available online at www.negroniweek.com.

I don’t always drink cocktails. But when I do, it’s a Negroni. Follow me on Twitter & Instagram @Jenn_Harris_

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