Agavoni

Photo: T.J McLachlan

Spring has arrived, and it seems as though, finally, that is a safe bet to make. With spring comes the switch over in preferred cocktails. Cocktails typically have a seasonal relevance, especially when it comes to Winter (like The Stinger) and Summer (Mojitos, Daiquiris). But what about Spring?


Here at The Volstead Act Craft Cocktals, we are huge fans of Campari. This exceptionally appealing Italian Amaro (or Bitters) is a natural way to celebrate the arrival of Spring. While bitter in taste, it has a light delivery and beautiful colour. It also works in many classic cocktails, or as a stand-alone with soda water and a slice of orange (as an Americano).

You may know the Negroni (equal parts Gin, Campari, Sweet Vermouth). Dating back to 1919, the Negroni was created in Florence, Italy at the Caffe Casoni, as away to strengthen the Americano, by swapping out the Soda Water and replacing it with Gin. We love the Negroni, but we are also very excited about presenting the Agavoni to our menu. It was also a popular choice for the hero, Steve Zissou in "The LIfe Aquatic" (a great film by the way). But this is not a film blog, nor a posting on the Negroni.

One of our favourite books is Boozehound, by Jason Wilson. In it, he introduces to us the Agavoni, attributing it to Bastian Heuser, editor at the German Bar magazine, Mixology. The Agavoni replaces the Negroni's gin with the bright spark of a silver tequila. Accenting the Campari's citrus notes with a couple of dashes of orange bitters, the Agavoni breathes new life into this venerable classic.

To us, this drink tastes like Spring - a season we gladly welcome.

As a side note, and some interesting trivia: during the prohibition era, Campari was considered as medicinal and could be consumed without penalty!