Every year, as the weather warms up, I start to let go of stirred and boozy drinks. But even as the season turns, I’m not ready just yet for the fruit-forward and slushy drinks I’ll be craving at the beach in a few months. Enter the White Negroni & Tonic from Rolo’s, my perfect spring cocktail.
The drink, which was created by the restaurant’s director of operations, Ben Howell, begins as a typical White Negroni, with Luxardo Bitter Bianco swapped in for Suze. The mix is topped with tonic, which plays well with the botanical notes of the gin. For the base, Rolo’s recommends Forthave Spirits Blue, which is made from cane sugar rather than grain, giving the spirit a “sturdier, chubbier body” that rounds out the drink—though any gin will do the trick.
The White Negroni & Tonic is bright, refreshing and easy to drink, an ideal pairing for the restaurant’s comforting menu focused on wood-fired dishes. “It’s so delicious, but it’s so light,” says Leo Bayless-Hall, Rolo’s beverage director, of the cocktail, a favorite of his on the menu. While many White Negronis are tinted yellow, this one’s clear look adds to it being “classy,” he says. “I’ve got a real big thing about drinks being crystal clear. I think that it’s so sexy and fun, period.”
The White Negroni & Tonic captures the overall ethos of the bar menu. With approachability in mind, the beverage program centers classics with a twist. “[We] present a drink or a collection of flavors that people are already familiar with and people already know that they like,” says Bayless-Hall, “but with a kind of cheekiness.”
