If you’re anything like me, the holiday season means lots (and lots) of drinking. Mimosas, spiked egg nog and the occasional Dark and Stormy are usually on the menu. But this year, I wanted to shake things up (literally) and add a new cocktail to the mix. This led me on a wild social media goose chase for some viral drink that may be trending behind my back.
In my search, I stumbled across a now-viral video in which Olivia Cooke asks her House of The Dragon co-star Emma D’Arcy to share their drink of choice. D’Arcy responded, “A negroni sbagliato with Prosecco in it.” And I don’t know if it was the fancy name or the fact that just about everything sounds better in a posh British accent, but D’Arcy’s response had people frantically scouring the web for the recipe.
The drink is a twist on the classic Negroni cocktail, which is made with equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth with an orange peel garnish. To make it a sbagliato, you swap the gin for Prosecco.
But because I always want to know what Black bartenders are doing, I fell even further down the rabbit hole and rounded up some creative cocktail recipes from some of the hottest Black bartenders on social media. And since this is the season of giving, I’m sharing some of my favorites here. Cheers!
Masala Dreams
Cardamom, chai-infused orange syrup and whiskey join forces to make this cocktail from The Grandiose Bartender that’s equal parts, sweet and sour. Extra credit if you can replicate that dope orange peel bowtie garnish!
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
Tiffanie Barriere, aka The Drinking Coach is mixing up a festive wine cocktail called ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. In this one, Black Girl Magic Riesling is the star of the show. Add a little spice rum, apple cider and bitters, and it will surely taste just like Christmas.
Prospero 75
Turn your New Year’s celebration up a notch with this Prospero 75 from Potent Pours. Prospero reposado, lemon juice, agave and the sparkling wine or champagne of your choice make this beautifully bubbly drink.
Old Fashioned 2.0
Alexis Brown is giving her suggestions for how to add a new twist to the classic Old Fashioned. Using Hennessy VSOP as the base, Brown says you can swap the traditional Angostura and orange bitter combo for other flavors like cherry bark vanilla or mole chocolate.
An Even Hotter Hot Toddy
Nothing is better on a cold day than a warm cocktail. Now you can crank your traditional hot toddy up a notch with this recipe from Taneka Reaves and Johnny Caldwell, aka Cocktail Bandits. It’s the cinnamon-infused honey syrup for me.