portolono

1 1/4 oz Cacao Nib-Infused Gin (*)
1 1/4 oz Punt e Mes
1 1/4 oz Aperol

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Flame an orange twist over the top.
(*) 3 Tbsp cacao nib in 750 mL bottle of Beefeater, infused for 12 hours, and strained. I scaled this down to 1 1/5 tsp of nibs in 3 oz Beefeater Gin for 24 hours and strained.
In a Serious Eats article about Fall cocktails at Manhattan's Aldea restaurant, bar manager Brian Block's Portolono caught my eye. Beside the concept of chocolate-infused gin that attracted me, the Portolono came across as a hybrid of two Negroni variations, the Contessa and the Patrician. To match my excitement about the drink and the infusion I had made, I decided that the Portolono was the perfect use for our recent antique store purchase of Heisey Ipswich cocktail coupes. The drink began with orange from the twist and chocolate notes from the infused gin on the nose. The orange oil aroma prepared the mouth for the Aperol; moreover, the Punt e Mes' grape helped to round out the sip. The swallow contained the chocolate and gin which meshed rather well with the Punt e Mes' bitter notes.