Welcome to The Negronist

The late return flight to Germany at 2 a.m. local time gave us the opportunity to enjoy a nice dinner in Delhi and get to know the bar scene, which is not to be overlooked at in Delhi. Our first stop took us to Barbet & Pals, which made a great impression, apart from the 90s music. Visually, the drinks were impressive again, including a stamped ice cube. Unfortunately, the drink lacked a little punch. The mezcal was well chosen, but Cinzano was used as the vermouth, which didn't provide enough support. The bartender told us that the selection of vermouth in Delhi is very poor and that Cinzano is almost the only brand available. This is a shame, as the bartender would certainly have conjured up something completely different otherwise.

My partner asked me if I really wanted another Negroni after my first experience with Cinzano at the previous bar. But part of the Negronist's job is to constantly challenge the other side. And I can say in advance that I was not disappointed. Despite the weak vermouth, the bartender managed to create backbone in the Negroni. My feeling was that this was due in part to the choice of gin, but above all to an adjusted mixture with a slight excess of Campari. At least I couldn't taste the Cinzano directly this time. Unfortunately, in this case, I had to do without a stamp in the ice ;-)

The Syah is truly a special place—our driver initially missed the turn off the road because it is a very remote farm-to-table restaurant, which I would never have expected to find in this location. My expectations in terms of alcohol weren't particularly high either, and since I knew there was no Campari in Rajasthan, I had no hope of getting a Negroni. I was all the more surprised to find Negroni on the menu. Apparently, they had cleverly circumvented the availability issue with a pre-mixed version, which tasted really excellent. Unfortunately, unlike the other glasses, mine was served without orange and the drink was a little too warm. Nevertheless, it's a place where you can definitely enjoy a Negroni with excellent food.

What can I say—just two weeks earlier, I wouldn't have expected my next review to come from Rajasthan in India. I accompanied my partner on a relatively spontaneous business trip to India and not only enjoyed the wonderfully spicy food, but also discovered the Indian love of hard liquor. We spent the first evening with her team on the roof terrace of the Ninkasi. The team had made sure that Negroni was on our special menu. It must be said that the team was so well prepared that they had found out that there was no Campari in Rajasthan at the time due to a legal dispute. However, this seemed to be a reason and not an obstacle, as the team had brought a bottle of Campari from Delhi especially for the occasion. Unfortunately, the bar team seemed to lack experience with Negroni, so the drink looked stunning but was not properly balanced in either case. Nevertheless, it was certainly one of the most emotional Negronis of my life.

Verōnika had been on our list for a long time, but apart from a special Rioja tasting event, we hadn't managed to go there yet. So a visit from a good friend from Zurich was finally a good reason to go. The restaurant has a great atmosphere, but on this particular evening, the service felt as if they had just opened—everything was a bit chaotic and took a long time. I was all the more delighted when I was served a Negroni that was visually impressive by German standards. You don't often get an ice stamp here. Unfortunately, the drink didn't live up to its appearance in terms of taste. Overall, the Negroni tasted solid and made with standard ingredients, which was rather disappointing after a positive experience in the bar a few floors above. Next time, I'll stick to wine at Verōnika and go up a few floors for a drink.

Claiming to be the best hotel bar in Ischgl naturally raises expectations. It's therefore a shame when those expectations aren't met. As you can see from the picture, my first attempt was to save the drink from drowning. The attempt was somewhat successful, but even when properly chilled and with fresh ice, the contents would not have been anything special. So even in the best hotel bar in Ischgl, I should have opted for a classic version.