Tayēr Vetiver Negroni

Vetiver is a grass — or more precisely the root of one — and perfumers have used it for centuries to give a fragrance its floor. Earthy, faintly smoky, the smell of soil after rain.

Dropping that into a Negroni is a bolder move than it sounds. The classic is already a crowded drink: gin, Campari and sweet vermouth all pulling in different directions and somehow agreeing. Berg and Kratena, at their Old Street bar Tayēr + Elementary, use the vetiver to give the whole thing a base note, so the bitterness has somewhere to land.

The colour is that familiar coral red. The nose runs Campari's herbs and orange peel, then the spice of the vermouth, with vetiver low underneath. On the palate the balance sits dry rather than sweet, the bitterness stays clean, and the earthiness builds as the glass warms. It finishes long, and slightly savoury.

Under £40 a bottle, which stacks up rather well against a round of Negronis anywhere central.

How to Serve

Straight from the fridge, poured over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Orange peel, expressed and dropped in. Nothing else required.

Where to Drink It

Tayēr + Elementary on Old Street, at the source. Bar Lotus, if you want somewhere quieter to sit with it.

Food Pairings

Antipasti before dinner. Aged Parmesan and a few olives is honestly all it asks for.