Anthony Bourdain’s name is shortly going to be as intimately associated with global travel food indulgences as anything else. Beyond the travel television and best-sellers, he had a unique facility for engaging with cultures through the senses of food and beverage. At the heart of his cocktail list was a deep affection for one in specific: the Negroni. That Italian cocktail of elegantly intermingled gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth was attractive to the cooperation Bourdain sought in life. He once described to Barron’s, “A Negroni is a perfect drink in my book… The first taste is confusing and not pleasant. But man it gets inside you.” This honest description captures Bourdain’s mantra: authentic pleasure lies in embracing the unknown.
To Bourdain, the beauty of a Negroni was not in any of the ingredients, which he admitted that he did not much care about individually, but in how they were together. The blend of flavors delighted his general philosophy: the whole was perhaps greater than the sum of its components. He enjoyed the craftsmanship, intelligence, and tradition involved in this vintage cocktail. Its bitterness headed by citrus appealed to his palate and also instilled within him an affection for true, age-long productions.
The origins of the Negroni are most likely also what attracted him as much as its flavor. Its 1919 origins in Florence when Count Camillo Negroni requested gin in substitution for soda in his Americano cocktail make it an instant classic. With the addition of an orange peel in place of a lemon slice, the Negroni’s signature bitter-sweet profile was born. Bourdain admired this marriage of aristocratic preference and bartender ingenuity, a concept reflecting both his respect for history and his love of unpretentious excellence.
Crafting a Bourdain-Style Negroni
Making a Negroni, according to Bourdain, was delightfully straightforward. On Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, he quipped, “Pretty much any chimpanzee could make this drink,” and demonstrated the simplicity of beauty. To prepare it, he loaded a rocks glass with ice, added Campari, gin, and sweet vermouth in roughly equal proportion, and topped it with a glinting orange slice. But with typically Bourdain flair, he asserted his own personality on it: a gin-based version, almost doubling the amount a classic one would call upon, added depth and herbal heft without compromising the classic’s balance.
Bourdain’s tactic was performance and philosophy. He had the habit of preempting adverse comment from strangers, smiling, “Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, ‘That doesn’t sound good to me.’ But together, oh yes.” His nodding addition of a slice of orange instead of a spin confirmed his assertion that each ingredient was needed. It was thoughtful but relaxed a summary of his general way of life: unassuming, respectful, and uncompromisingly flavorful.
Even threatening, Steve Bourdain’s humor sparkled. “I would say have a couple of these, tops. Because at three, it’s, ‘Where did my pants go? And who in the heck are you?'” He reminded watchers that it was about quality, not quantity, pleasure, not excess, to enjoy a drink. In his care, the Negroni raised cocktail to an art form it was a master class in restraint and the beauty of simple, well-crafted excess.
Beyond the Negroni: An International and Local Drink Experience
While the Negroni reigned supreme over his canon, his quest for cocktails led him to all continents and cultures. During a Parts Unknown segment in Brazil, he enjoyed the national cocktail, the Caipirinha, praising the refreshing mix of cachaça, sugar, and lime. He referred to it as a “utility drink suitable for any moment or any social gathering,” consistent with his position that cocktails could be cultural reference points and agents of bringing human beings together.
He also liked fanciful cocktails like Sazerac and Manhattan, appreciating the history and craftsmanship that went into each. Even whisky, which was his beverage of choice, was savored with an emphasis on simplicity and elegance straight Scotch or Bourbon, a sliver of ice, nothing else. Bourdain’s appreciation for tradition also applied to all beverages, from global icons to lowly local obscura, with experience and authenticity being the main priorities.
Here in New York, however, his own preferences were as fearless and experimental as the city. From cold beer pulled straight out of a fridge to cardboard-lined bodega coffee and lime rickeys in Jewish delis, Bourdain celebrated the uncompromising, unapologetic, and essential beverages. He also indulged in the ritual martini at landmark institutions, admiration for the custom and the instant. His choices demanded a steady philosophy: a cup of coffee is worth something due to its integrity, history, and ability to bring people together, rather than through posturing.
Coffee, Comfort, and New York Rituals
Bourdain’s love for alcohol also extended to coffee, one of his daily vices. He avoided “designer coffee” trends for good-old-fashioned New York corner store coffee, occasionally accompanied by street donuts. For Bourdain, there was a functionality, ritual, and neighborhood-tied aspect to it all. He enjoyed the “cardboard taste” as part of it, a small but genuine gesture to the city’s particular culinary texture.
- Gray’s Papaya’s hot dog and papaya drink pairing: Sweet-and-savory pairing that became a staple, resonating with his love of humble food with roots.
- Lime rickeys of legendary delis: Refreshing and citrusy drinks that were comforting and had a touch of pleasant mystery.
- Street drinks of everyday life: Relished small, unglamorized things each sip a glimpse of the urban culture.
- Savoring plainness: Embraced direct taste without ever sacrificing depth or interest.
Even the occasional excesses, such as a dry gin martini in good bars, spoke to his reverence for tradition. Bourdain’s attitude toward drinks whether they were cocktails, coffee, or easy street drinks was the same: drink to the finish, respect the craft, and never allow pretense to interfere. His palate was not a fondness but a reflection of his values, his philosophy, and relentless curiosity.
Legacy Through the Glass
Anthony Bourdain’s experience with beverages was not a mere casual affair it was an articulation of his philosophy and culture. All beverages he ever consumed meant something to him, be it the everyday ordinary joy of a bodega coffee or the bold bitter beauty of a Negroni. For Bourdain, beverages were a gateway to the real, the traditional, and the human. The Negroni, in particular, appealed to his love of restraint: three strong elements combined into one, evocative experience. It was the way he dealt with food, travel, and narrative, always striving for the tension between exertion and result.
Throughout the globe, Bourdain found cocktails with the same wide-eyed fascination and questioning that defined his food explorations. On Brazil, he embraced the Caipirinha as a representation of more than a beverage; it was a representation of culture that reflected its environment. The Sazerac or Manhattan classic cocktails allowed him to trace history, craftsmanship, and geography by taste. Even at the simplest, local of beverages a papaya drink consumed with a New York hot dog he found bliss, testifying to the reality of good moments in sophistication and in the ordinary.
Ultimately, Bourdain’s choices were those of a man who genuinely respected the history with every beverage. Regardless of whether consuming aged spirits, carefully prepared cocktails, or plain old local drinks, he sought contact, heritage, and pleasure in every encounter. His alcohol relationship was a manifestation of the secret rule of his life: honesty is more than appearance, and moderation will always bring the richest experience. Every glass he raised was a tribute to curiosity, craftsmanship, and people’s tales that add flavor to life.
Final Thought
Anthony Bourdain’s lasting legacy in the glass is that cocktails aren’t merely liquid but instead culture, history, and connection. Whether it was a Negroni made in the forward style with gin or a midtown Manhattan lime rickey, every cocktail was the result of his limitless curiosity and commitment to authenticity. He taught us to enjoy not just the flavor, but the history, the tradition, and the people who made it. With each swallow, Bourdain invited us to adventure, comprehend, and revel in the fullness of life in good faith, honesty, and a wild passion for the sublime.
