sepia negroni

1 oz Gin (Tanqueray)
1 oz Blanc Vermouth (Servito)
1/2 oz Amaro Sfumato
1/2 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist. Two Thursdays prior, I returned to the online recipe flashcards for Attaboy and became intrigued by the Sepia Negroni. An article about Florence Cocktail Week 2025 mentioned that Attaboy served this drink during their guest shift. True, this is not a not a Negroni but an abstraction; the use of Sfumato in this Negroni-adjacent drink reminds me of the Caustic Negroni that I came up on the fly to satisfy a request during my guest shift at Backbar years ago. Once stirred and strained, the Sepia Negroni conjured forth an orange, nutty sherry, and smoky roast aroma to the nose. Next, grape and roast notes on the sip unfurled into gin, nutty, and bitter herbal flavors on the swallow.