Still Thinking About Stanley Tucci’s Negroni

Every Friday morning, Bon Appétit senior staff writer Alex Beggs shares weekly highlights from the BA offices, from awesome new recipes to office drama to restaurant recs, with some weird (food!) stuff she saw on the internet thrown in. It gets better: If you sign up for our newsletter, you'll get this letter before everyone else.

Shake it

“Stop what you’re doing,” I was told, “and watch Stanley Tucci making cocktails.” I put down the French murder mystery I was reading (the investigator sleeps in, drives slow, and has a pet toad named Bufo), and glued my eyes to the Tooch’s biceps as he shook a Negroni and poured it into a delicate, expensive-looking coupe glass. “Doesn’t sound like enough ice,” noted Christina Chaey. I wonder what other details I missed. “He pronounced Milanese beautifully,” pointed out drinks columnist Al Culliton, “and he’s using the best gin and vermouth money can buy: Plymouth and Carpano Antica.” There was some hubbub on the Internet about shaking a negroni, which is usually stirred because it is an all-spirit cocktail and shaking dilutes the booze, Al told me, adding: “That said, he’s shaking much more gently than I would, so maybe it's not so bad?”

Ah, the gentle shake.

Crowdsourcing

On the theme of...drinking... I asked our beloved Test Kitchen editors what their isolation cocktail has been this week (alcohol optional):

Molly Baz has been mixing up “YUMMY JOOS,” “a cocktail I invented two weeks ago and simply cannot shake.” Well, actually it is shaken. It’s an unmeasured combination of mezcal, Aperol, lemon juice, simple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Shake, serve on the rocks with a salted rim.

Rick Martinez makes a sleepytime soda that’s half chamomile, half hibiscus tea, with agave and a splash of Topo Chico—over ice.

Chris Morocco’s having a large glass of red wine.

Priya Krishna is on the Topo train too: “My mom made a pretty amazing lemonade with Meyer lemon juice, sugar, salt (salt!!), ice, and Topo Chico.”

Claire Saffitz hasn’t been boozing that much, but when she does, she’s having
“a Lillet over ice with a very big wedge of lemon.” Classy, Claire!

Brad Leone didn’t reply to my email. But then again, he’s not really “an email guy.”