Each week, we order the same cocktail at two different bars for a friendly head-to-head battle. Go to the bars, taste both drinks and tell us what you like about each by tagging @pghcitypaper on Twitter or Instagram and using #CPBoozeBattles. If you want to be a part of Booze Battles, send an email to food-and-beverage writer Celine Roberts, at [email protected].
Casellula
40 W. North Ave., North Side
Drink: Negroni
Ingredients: Beefeater gin, Vida mezcal, Campari, Dolin Rouge, orange peel
Our take: The smokiness of the mezcal helps to soften the bitter notes in the Campari, making this a milder, more accessible version of the classic recipe. Agave brightens the flavors of the citrus, making the cocktail lightly sweet and musty.
Vs.
Pints on Penn
3523 Penn Ave., Lawrenceville
Drink: Negroni
Ingredients: Bluecoat gin, Campari, sweet red vermouth, orange peel
Our take: The classic recipe packs all the bitter punch cocktail traditionalists look forward to in this drink. The gin’s juniper and citrus notes interplay to create an herbaceous sweetness that takes some of the pucker from the experience.
