Kingston Negroni
Joaquín Simó’s 2010 Death & Co riff that swaps Jamaican rum for gin in the classic Negroni. The funky-bitter collision is one of the most-imitated cocktail moves of the modern revival—and a serious case for rum’s place in the bitter-aperitivo tradition.
The History
Created by Joaquín Simó at Death & Co in New York’s East Village around 2010, during the Jamaican-rum renaissance that revival bartenders were leading. Simó’s premise was simple: Smith & Cross Jamaican rum has enough character to stand up to Campari and sweet vermouth where most rums would get steamrolled. The drink became one of the era’s most-copied cocktails and helped establish the Jamaican-pot-still revival in serious cocktail bars.
Ingredients
- 1 oz Smith & Cross Jamaican rum
- 1 oz Campari
- 1 oz sweet vermouth (Cocchi Vermouth di Torino or Carpano Antica)
- Orange peel (garnish)
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice.
Stir for 20–30 seconds until well-chilled.
Strain into a rocks glass over a single large ice cube.
Express an orange peel over the surface, then drop it in.