Via Carota is an Italian restaurant on New York City’s lower West Side. In collaboration with Brooklyn based Forthave Spirits, in 2022 they launched a series of bottled cocktails, which include a White Negroni.
It begins with a base of gin and dry vermouth, while the amaro component of Via Carota’s White Negroni is a secret “White Aperitivo.” Meant to be sipped on the rocks, it is bottled at 20.7% ABV.
Tasting notes
Color: Pale straw and transparent.
Aroma: Spice and fruit on the nose. Notes of white and pink peppercorns, dried sweetened pineapple, and some orange. Slight hint of gentian as well. Via Carota White Negroni is surprisingly sweet and honeyed to the nose. Inviting, but unusual for the cocktail.
Flavor: Sweet entry. Orange and pineapple again, lend it some tropical fruit like notes. Gin is rather quiet in here overall, with some citrus and hints of spice. Not a lot of juniper.
Towards the finish, the dry vermouth adds a bit of wine character, reminiscent of Riesling with only a hint of wormwood and gentian.
Finish: While the ending isn’t quite as sweet, it isn’t quite as bitter either. Very restrained and very quiet note of gentian persists only at the farthest edges of the palate.
Overall, Via Carota White Negroni
While much sweeter and lighter than most White Negronis, Via Carota’s version is quite successful in two ways. One, despite being light on gin, the overall impression is quite balanced. The flavors that are present work well together. Secondly, the sweetness makes this White Negroni a very accessible cocktail, that may appeal even to people who are not fans of the original cocktail.
Via Carota White Negroni is a complex RTD to judge. Judged against many versions of the drink it says to be, it comes up a bit short and may disappoint people looking for a White Negroni. But judged on its own, it’s quite delicious. It pushes the idea of the White Negroni away from the world of Suze and more towards softer variations, like those that combine Lillet Blanc, Dry Vermouth and Gin.
Overall, Via Carota White Negroni is quite good— though it may not be exactly what you expect.