Negroni

Last weekend Matt and I celebrated a birthday with a (couple) bottle(s) of red wine, a hunk of creamy cheese and, later, an apple crisp. We shopped for discount clothes, navigating among herds of consumers laden with heavy bags and crumpled receipts, and then, exhausted, curled up on the couch to watch the final episodes of Mad Men. We finished our taxes and filled up our fridge. There was an intense bout of spring cleaning thrown in the mix.

On Monday, we woke up at my dad’s house in Lexington, Mass, blinking and bleary in the pitch-blackness of 4:30am. After rolling out of bed, we walked the few blocks toward town center, where we stood in a surprisingly large crowd of people to watch a reenactment of a battle from the Revolutionary War. (Ah, Patriot’s Day.) And later that night, Matt and I gathered with the rest of my family and some friends for a Passover Seder, where we ate charoset and maror, brisket, matzah kugel and big wedges of lemon cheesecake. 

But what I want to write about now had little to do with any of that hectic activity, those planned events. One of the best moments last weekend came quiet and alone. Sunday, 5pm. Matt and I had just concluded the Clorox-scented cleaning of our apartment. I felt tired and my legs, sore. My hair was frizzy and my clothes, a mess. I’ll admit, I was anxious. I’ve been anxious. For a reason, though: I began a new job this week. A real job, with a real schedule, a real office, and real responsibility. Really, I couldn’t be more pleased. But, as always, anticipation is the worst part. 

So, Sunday. I sat at the kitchen table early that evening, the sun falling behind the brick-gabled buildings outside. Inspired by a recent article in Bon Appetit, I made myself a Negroni—a mix of gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari. Sunset pink, bitter and just a bit sweet. I sipped it in a thick glass filled with ice while listening to the sounds of the street, the hum of the radiator, the windows rattle and clink against the early spring wind. 

Negroni

Adapted from Bon Appetit 

Makes 1

2 tablespoons gin

2 tablespoons sweet vermouth

2 tablespoons Campari

Orange twist

Mix all ingredients in a glass filled with ice. Stir. Enjoy.