Pen Pal

A friend of mine recently found out about this blog and asked me for the address. A few minutes later, I received a text from him:

Oh, the shame. Fifty-odd recipes up here, and of course a real cocktail lover goes straight for the Negroni. Let me be clear: I want to like the Negroni. There seems to be a consensus that it’s one of the really great cocktails. But I just don’t enjoy them.

In order to make up for this obvious character deficit, I’ve hunted down a number of recipes that are similar to the Negroni that I still really like. I introduced two of them back in April: the Boulevardier and the Old Pal. Like the Negroni, they follow a basic formula: gin or whiskey, sweet or dry vermouth, and Campari.

Today I’m adding one more to the list, and another variation to the formula. The Pen Pal is closest to the Old Pal, but it increases the proportion of rye and swaps out the Campari for Aperol, its sweeter, more citrusy cousin. It’s probably my favorite of the four. If you share with me the terrible shame of not enjoying Negronis, the Pen Pal might be for you.

History: The Pen Pal was invented at Barmini in Washington, D.C.

1 1/2 oz. rye

3/4 oz. dry vermouth

3/4 oz. Aperol

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass or coupe. Garnish with a lemon peel. Don’t forget to write home about it.