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Sometimes, a cocktail bar will, on their menu, have a chart or “matrix,” a way to evaluate at a glance what the experience of a drink is going to be. This is usually a combination of two axes: one, from refreshing to boozy, and the other, from comfortable to adventurous. And with any such thing, a natural (if anarchic) question would be: What happens when we max both of these out in a single glass? What cocktail in the classic or modern-classic canon is both the most insane and the most intense?

Allow me to introduce you to the Kingston Negroni. The Kingston Negroni was created in 2009 by Joaquin Simó when he was at Death & Co. in NYC (the same Joaquin Simó, by coincidence, who a few years later would be the first to put a flavor matrix on a menu). The story goes that a liquor importer walked into Death & Co. with a new bottle of Jamaican rum, a particularly intense and funky blend called Smith & Cross, and “within five minutes” Simó had the idea of stirring it into a Negroni. Some cocktails take weeks of trial and error—particularly at Death & Co., at the time perhaps the most creative and precise cocktail bar in the country—but the Kingston Negroni was a one-shot hit. It went on the menu in Spring of 2010, was taken up by the blogs and then quickly spread across the country, by way of bartenders in Chicago and Portland and San Francisco who were enraptured by this brash and assaultive little drink.

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The reason for the cocktail’s success and its aforementioned intensity is the particular character of Smith & Cross. Jamaican Rum is, for lack of a better word, funky. People have gone to great lengths to try to explain it, and even so far as to create a word, “hogo,” to describe the unmistakable flavors of banana and rotting tropical fruit and buttered gingerbread and (sometimes) old-meat funk that is endemic to Jamaican rum. Honestly, the category gets even funkier and weirder than Smith & Cross, but in 2009 these rums mostly weren’t exported, and even today it’s a flavor most Americans have simply never experienced. Smith & Cross is a beast, the standard bearer of the category, its flavor amplified further still by being bottled at a combustible 114 proof.

Instead of shying away from the intensity of the rum, trying to soften it with lime juice or bury it in coconut, the Kingston Negroni puts the Smith & Cross front and center. It defines the nose and palate, leading the charge with a coat of botanical vermouth and a swinging mace in the form of Campari, whose acute bitter finish can be too much for some people in and of itself. A Negroni is already bold and polarizing; the Kingston Negroni takes that template and invents new dials that it can turn up to 11. It’s so flavorful it feels like it should be against the law.

As such, the Kingston Negroni has cemented itself as a bona fide modern classic and is the favorite drink of several people I know personally. It is unyielding and unique, thunderous yet somehow balanced, with the dauntless confidence of an apex predator. Try one out some time. That is, if you’re the kind of person who looks at a scale of reasonability and thinks, “what happens on that far end over there?”

1 oz. Smith and Cross (or other, high-ester, high-proof Jamaican Rum)

1 oz. Campari

1 oz. Carpano Antica or Carpano Classico Vermouth

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir for 10 to 20 seconds, and strain over a big cube into a rocks glass. Express the oils of an orange peel over the top, and garnish with the peel.

NOTES ON INGREDIENTS

Rum: This is a very specific drink, created specifically for Smith & Cross, which is both inexpensive and widely available. I recommend it.

As for other rums, you certainly couldn’t use a bottle of Bacardi and have it be a Kingston Negroni. If you were going to mess with the rum, you would, at minimum, need the bottle to be not just Jamaican but a funky, hogo-full Jamaican—Appleton Estates, the biggest Jamaican rum company, doesn’t have enough funk to make a full-fledged Kingston Negroni. I’d also guide you toward higher proof, like Smith & Cross, to capture the intensity of the original. Or you can just get Smith & Cross.

Campari: I didn’t try any of Campari’s competitors in this, because I love Campari and consider it strictly necessary. I’m not saying its competitors wouldn’t work, just that Campari, along with Angostura Bitters and Green Chartreuse and a small handful of others, is one of the few truly indispensable cocktail ingredients.

Sweet Vermouth: Simó specifically called for Carpano Antica, because it has the body to stand up to the other two towering ingredients. The logic is sound, and Carpano does indeed make the quintessential Kingston Negroni. In all my research on this drink, I couldn’t find anyone who disagreed.

The only thing I’d add is that I liked it just as much with Carpano Classico, the newer and less popular vermouth from the same producer. The Classico doesn’t have quite as much plummy power, but it also doesn’t have the same vanilla note, which is a note this cocktail abhors. I don’t know. I wouldn’t run out and buy a bottle of it for this, and Carpano Antica has more uses (like the splendid Vieux Carré), but if you happen to have both on hand, as I did, try it with each. Carpano Classico is leaner and so the bitterness shines more, while Carpano Antica is fuller with more to say, but talks over the rum just a touch in the mid-palate.

Variations: This, like the Negroni itself, is a very malleable template. Some people make pineapple versions. Some people make coconut versions. Some people stir it with coffee beans and add some oloroso sherry. I made all three of these, and I don’t think any of them are better than the original, but they’re all good in their own way. Happy exploring.

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Maison Solignac Initiale Vodka takes home the top prize for vodka at the 2024 International Wine and Spirits Competition.

The International Wine and Spirits Competition has revealed its top scores for 2024. Earlier this summer we revealed the big winner in the realm of American whiskey. Today it’s time to take a look at what this prestigious panel of judges had to say about vodka. Out of thousands of entries, only two total expressions managed to score 99 out of a possible 100 points. And only one of those was of the unflavored variety. The distinction belongs to Initiale Vodka from Maison Solignac, just south of Cognac, France.

Despite the abundance of grapes in this renowned region of the country, the producers at Solignac opted to craft their award-winning liquid out of rye grain. They use what they refer to as an “ultra slow distillation” in small copper pot stills to come away with a spirit that’s rich in savory elements and baking spices.

In their official tasting notes, the judges at IWSC pinpointed these threads as “biscuity sweetness, honeyed warmth, and fragrant meadow notes. Balanced with subtle fennel and caramel nuances. A silky, creamy texture leads to a slow, warm finish.”

The brand takes its name from founder and craftsman Pierre Solignac, a Versailles native who learned about the bygone traditions of vodka production while living in Russia during the 1990s. Specifically, he uncovered techniques dating back to the 18th Century—long before the advent of industrial column distillation had reduced the category to the neutral grain spirit it is often known as today.

Indeed, there is nothing neutral about this velvety, 80-proof sipper that is meant to be enjoyed chilled but never frozen. The pairing potentials of something this nuanced are best explored with high grade sashimis, cured fishes, or the classic caviar presentation.

There are also hints of freshly cracked black pepper that practically demand to be echoed in edible form. We recommend leveling up your at-home tasting by procuring a professional grade pepper cannon (what else?), spicing up some smoked salmon and washing it all down with a chilled pour of Initiale. You won’t be mad that you did.

The only thing to be angry about here is that the top-rated vodka is unavailable on US shelves—as of now. Hopefully the global recognition afforded by IWSC will help encourage the formation of those distribution channels. Meanwhile, European connoisseurs can pick up a bottle for around 55 €.

Drinkers on that side of the pond also ought to keep an eye out for the Mango Vodka offering from British producer Desi Daru. It was the only other vodka release to receive a 99 score at this year’s IWSC. Judges had this to say about the fruit-flavored expression:

“Such beautifully fresh aromas of real mango. The mango character continues to shine and linger on the smooth, vibrant palate alongside the peppery vodka notes and the seamlessly integrated alcohol. Enjoy in any cocktail, or savor on its own.”

Follow along for more news and updates from the 2024 International Wine and Spirits Competition.

The rural landscape of Southwestern France, home to Maison Solignac

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American artist and icon Andy Warhol (1928-1987) whose ‘rediscovered’ 1985 artwork could give Absolut Vodka a new lease of life.

Absolut Vodka—once fêted for its creative limited-edition bottles, often tying up art with social messaging—is at it again. This time it has rekindled an old partnership through the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

The Swedish vodka brand, owned by French drinks giant Pernod Ricard, says the new, watery blue bottle will “reignite conversations around culture and inclusivity” and bring Absolut’s legacy in the art world to new audiences.

Back in 1985, Andy Warhol became the first artist to produce artwork based on the silhouette of Absolut’s (then) distinctive apothecary-inspired bottle. Absolut Warhol became the brand’s first art advert and marked the beginning of its involvement in the arts.

Warhol subsequently recommended Keith Haring to interpret the Absolut bottle, and between 1985 and 2004 more than 550 artists subsequently created more than 850 works. The early pieces were part of a brand communication strategy associated with the glamour of New York’s Studio 54, as well as the victims of the AIDS epidemic, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the birth of IT.

Pernod Ricard bought into Absolut’s cultural legacy in 2008, when it fought off rivals to acquire the brand.

The original Absolut Warhol was painted with vibrant colors on a black background and is considered iconic by some. On the MyArtBroker website, a signed print is listed for £27,000 to £40,000 ($34,250 to $50,700).

A second Absolut Warhol painting, also from 1985, had been rumored to exist for decades before his ‘blue’ artwork was uncovered at an auction in 2020. In proving its provenance the original contract was unearthed, confirming both paintings had been commissioned. Pernod Ricard saw an opportunity to revitalize the original partnership—and the Absolut brand.

From a retail perspective, the limited-edition Absolut Warhol line launched on Monday exclusively in global travel retail (GTR) stores. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport is opening an interactive, gallery-style pop-up store for the product, with other major travel hubs lined up.

The bottle brings Warhol’s rediscovered Absolut ‘blue’ painting from 1985 to life by extracting shades of blue from the work and includes an image of Warhol himself alongside his original signature.

The latest Absolut Warhol is exclusive to travel retail for two months.

Pernod Ricard—whose portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Jameson, and Royal Salute whiskies, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, and Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes—has put a big budget behind a 3D out-of-home (OOH) ad campaign in the channel and multiple retail activations at airport like London Heathrow in the U.K., Dubai, Singapore Changi, São Paulo, and others.

Only after two months of exclusivity in duty-free will the new Absolut Warhol limited-edition bottle roll out across more than 50 additional global markets (from September) in both one-liter and 700ml bottles.

In travel retail, the one-liter bottle is available, priced at a recommended selling price of $24 or €22. This is cheaper than the current online price of a standard Absolut bottle: €23.90 at Amsterdam Schiphol (checked today). In a channel where premiumization is commonplace, even the norm, Pernod Ricard may score with this accessible-pricing strategy, especially with younger legal drinking age (LDA) travelers.

According to drinks market analyst IWSR, there was flattened consumer demand for alcoholic beverages in the first half of 2023 due to belt-tightening, though spirits (excluding national spirits) were up by 1%, based on the firm’s latest Bevtrac data.

Referencing 2024, IWSR’s senior consumer insights manager, Anastasia Timofeeva, said in December: “The key will be whether real wages can grow sustainably in the next two quarters in Europe and North America, particularly for younger LDA+ and middle-income consumers—and whether the ‘natural’ positivity in China and India translates into actual consumption behavior.”

The creative positioning and competitive pricing of Absolut Warhol should give it an advantage in this economic environment. Liya Zhang, vice president of global marketing at Pernod Ricard GTR commented: “This launch will be of huge significance to the evolution of Absolut in travel retail. Through this partnership with The Andy Warhol Foundation, we can democratize art and bring it to all nationalities (and) also recruit new generations of consumers.”

Andy Warhol, John Sex (right), and masked friend at Absolut Vodka’s Party for Keith Haring at the Whitney Museum on October 2, 1986. (Photo by Patrick McMullan/Getty Images)

The foundation will also be receiving some proceeds which its director of licensing, marketing and sales, Michael Dayton Hermann, said would support its philanthropic work. He added that he was “thrilled” to see the Absolut campaign come to life and engage younger people with Warhol’s legacy “in a fresh and dynamic way.”

A short promo from Mexican director and photographer Santiago Sierra Soler is inspired by Warhol’s brush strokes and accompanied by a remixed version of 20th Century Boy by T. Rex. Meanwhile, the rediscovered painting will be showcased at Stockholm’s Sprit Museum, the home of the Absolut Art Collection, on October 17, 2024. It will be the centerpiece of a new exhibition called Andy Warhol, Money On The Wall, curated by art historian and Warhol biographer, Dr. Blake Gopnik.

The stills at Holyrood Distillery, the first Scotch distillery in Edinburgh in over 100 years.

At its core, whiskey is distilled beer. Whiskey is spirit made by distilling an alcohol, called wash, that is itself made from grains — beer.

And yet, other than selecting grains and their proportions — barley, corn and wheat are the most common — few distilleries think of themselves as brewers or approach washmaking in the same way brewers think about beermaking.

Holyrood Distillery is changing that.

Holyrood is the first new whiskey distillery in Edinburgh in over 100 years. Located in the literal capital of Scotland and the figurative heartland of malt whiskey, Holyrood is honoring the long history of the national drink while taking an innovative approach to whiskeymaking.

“Test, learn, improve, repeat.” said Calum Rae, distillery manager, in a video interview.

What that means is experimenting with beermaking techniques in making wash, including using heritage barley varieties and specialty malts, and using different yeast strains. These are things that brewers use to make beer styles, from amber lager to saison, different from each other and Holyrood is unique in seeking to understand how this will translate into aged whiskey.

“Holyrood is the home of a fresh, creative approach to Scotch,” says Rae. And the distillery is uniquely situated for this.

While Scotland is famous for making whiskey prized around the world, Edinburgh has a rich brewing history due to underground wells supplying water perfect for beer making. Holyrood is located within Edinburgh’s “Charmed Circle” which was once home to over forty breweries. So, Holyrood is perfectly placed to marry the beermaking and the whiskeymaking arts. Rae himself has a background in brewing and works with a team of distillers, many of whom were trained at the nearby famed Heriot-Watt University.

At craft breweries, a spirit of experimentation is welcomed and Rae has brought that ethos to Holyrood. “We just have a bigger feedback loop,” says Rae, talking about how the results of experiments in distilling take years to materialize, rather than the weeks it takes to see the outcome of new beer recipes.

By regulation, distilled spirit must be aged a minimum of three years before it can be called “Scotch.” To date, Holyrood has only released two expressions — Arrival and Embra — so consumers have only been teased with the fruits of Holyrood’s vast database of flavor experiments. “We are only on the very, very baby steps of the journey,” says Rae.

But eventually, Holyrood’s tasting room will also take a page from the craft beer world. Similar to brewery tasting rooms, Rae envisions a tasting room with 20 or so limited-release drams so that people can taste the cornucopia of flavors they have created. And once the whiskey is gone, it gets replaced with another flavor offering.

Rae insists that, like other whiskey distilleries, Holyrood will have a house character running through all of their drams. “We just have a lot more colors to paint with,” he says of their ability to blend from the seemingly limitless supply of spirits made from different beer recipes, fermented by different yeast strains and aged in different casks. Says Rae, “There’s room for both new and old in the world of whiskey. That’s what’s exciting.”

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site’s Terms of Service.  We’ve summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

So, how can you be a power user?

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site’s Terms of Service.

American artist and icon Andy Warhol (1928-1987) whose ‘rediscovered’ 1985 artwork could give Absolut Vodka a new lease of life.

Absolut Vodka—once fêted for its creative limited-edition bottles, often tying up art with social messaging—is at it again. This time it has rekindled an old partnership through the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

The Swedish vodka brand, owned by French drinks giant Pernod Ricard, says the new, watery blue bottle will “reignite conversations around culture and inclusivity” and bring Absolut’s legacy in the art world to new audiences.

Back in 1985, Andy Warhol became the first artist to produce artwork based on the silhouette of Absolut’s (then) distinctive apothecary-inspired bottle. Absolut Warhol became the brand’s first art advert and marked the beginning of its involvement in the arts.

Warhol subsequently recommended Keith Haring to interpret the Absolut bottle, and between 1985 and 2004 more than 550 artists subsequently created more than 850 works. The early pieces were part of a brand communication strategy associated with the glamour of New York’s Studio 54, as well as the victims of the AIDS epidemic, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the birth of IT.

Pernod Ricard bought into Absolut’s cultural legacy in 2008, when it fought off rivals to acquire the brand.

The original Absolut Warhol was painted with vibrant colors on a black background and is considered iconic by some. On the MyArtBroker website, a signed print is listed for £27,000 to £40,000 ($34,250 to $50,700).

A second Absolut Warhol painting, also from 1985, had been rumored to exist for decades before his ‘blue’ artwork was uncovered at an auction in 2020. In proving its provenance the original contract was unearthed, confirming both paintings had been commissioned. Pernod Ricard saw an opportunity to revitalize the original partnership—and the Absolut brand.

“`html

From a retail perspective, the limited-edition Absolut Warhol line launched on Monday exclusively in global travel retail (GTR) stores. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport is opening an interactive, gallery-style pop-up store for the product, with other major travel hubs lined up.

The bottle brings Warhol’s rediscovered Absolut ‘blue’ painting from 1985 to life by extracting shades of blue from the work and includes an image of Warhol himself alongside his original signature.

The latest Absolut Warhol is exclusive to travel retail for two months.

Pernod Ricard—whose portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Jameson, and Royal Salute whiskies, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, and Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes—has put a big budget behind a 3D out-of-home (OOH) ad campaign in the channel and multiple retail activations at airport like London Heathrow in the U.K., Dubai, Singapore Changi, São Paulo, and others.

“`

Only after two months of exclusivity in duty-free will the new Absolut Warhol limited-edition bottle roll out across more than 50 additional global markets (from September) in both one-liter and 700ml bottles.

In travel retail, the one-liter bottle is available, priced at a recommended selling price of $24 or €22. This is cheaper than the current online price of a standard Absolut bottle: €23.90 at Amsterdam Schiphol (checked today). In a channel where premiumization is commonplace, even the norm, Pernod Ricard may score with this accessible-pricing strategy, especially with younger legal drinking age (LDA) travelers.

According to drinks market analyst IWSR, there was flattened consumer demand for alcoholic beverages in the first half of 2023 due to belt-tightening, though spirits (excluding national spirits) were up by 1%, based on the firm’s latest Bevtrac data.

Referencing 2024, IWSR’s senior consumer insights manager, Anastasia Timofeeva, said in December: “The key will be whether real wages can grow sustainably in the next two quarters in Europe and North America, particularly for younger LDA+ and middle-income consumers—and whether the ‘natural’ positivity in China and India translates into actual consumption behavior.”

The creative positioning and competitive pricing of Absolut Warhol should give it an advantage in this economic environment. Liya Zhang, vice president of global marketing at Pernod Ricard GTR commented: “This launch will be of huge significance to the evolution of Absolut in travel retail. Through this partnership with The Andy Warhol Foundation, we can democratize art and bring it to all nationalities (and) also recruit new generations of consumers.”

Andy Warhol, John Sex, and masked friend at Absolut Vodka’s Party for Keith Haring at the Whitney Museum on October 2, 1986. (Photo by Patrick McMullan/Getty Images)

The foundation will also be receiving some proceeds which its director of licensing, marketing and sales, Michael Dayton Hermann, said would support its philanthropic work. He added that he was “thrilled” to see the Absolut campaign come to life and engage younger people with Warhol’s legacy “in a fresh and dynamic way.”

A short promo from Mexican director and photographer Santiago Sierra Soler is inspired by Warhol’s brush strokes and accompanied by a remixed version of 20th Century Boy by T. Rex. Meanwhile, the rediscovered painting will be showcased at Stockholm’s Sprit Museum, the home of the Absolut Art Collection, on October 17, 2024. It will be the centerpiece of a new exhibition called Andy Warhol, Money On The Wall, curated by art historian and Warhol biographer, Dr. Blake Gopnik.