Negronis On Tap With Karen Akunowicz - Exclusive
South Boston's beloved Bar Volpe will soon have an array of Negronis...on tap! Regular patrons know Bar Volpe is the spot for Negroni perfection and creative takes on the famous Italian cocktail. Having studied and worked in Modena in Emilia Romagna, Chef Karen Akunowicz pays tribute to the incredible cuisine and beverage culture at both Bar Volpe and Fox & Knife Enoteca.
Even more exciting is that guests can now order a Negroni flight. Usually, this would be unheard of, because making numerous, tiny Negronis would make any mixologist bitter (wink), but the availability of a tap system to serve prebatched Negronis makes it as simple as serving a flight of beer. Outside southern Italy, there isn't a better spot to sip on a flight of Negonis than the 25-seat art deco bar in a revamped airstream. In an exclusive interview with Chef Karen Akunowicz, she disclosed the fall cocktail menu as well as some exciting news regarding an addition to Bar Volpe.
Tapping Out
In addition to seasonal changes on the dining menu, Chef Karen wanted the cocktail menu to reflect the switch to crisp fall weather. Negronis are a pinnacle of the bar menu, so what better way to maximize the Negroni experience than to make it the star of the show? "We're working on fall cocktails now as we speak," she says in the interview. "We always look at how we can make our cocktail menu seasonal. The biggest thing we're doing for fall at Bar Volpe is we are putting a Negroni flight on the menu. We have different styles of Negroni on tap."
As luck would have it, the space that now occupies Bar Volpe was already outfitted for precisely that. She can serve a variety of Negronis made in-house with ease. "When I bought the restaurant, it had only been open for about two years, and one of the things that the place before us had invested in was a 30-tap system," she told us. "We don't sell a lot of beer. That's not our thing. We wanted to see how we could utilize this system. What if we had eight [or] nine different Negronis, [and] put them all on tap?"
Chef Karen's Negroni Variations
A classic Negroni is a one-to-one-to-one recipe of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth stirred and served on the rocks with an orange peel. Currently, the cocktail menu boasts seven different Negronis to choose from or to try a bit of each in a flight. In our interview, she told us about some styles to try.
"We have a new white Negroni coming on the menu in a couple of weeks, so that's exciting. We have a black truffle sbogliato that will come on the menu, which is very fall and so delicious," she says. The black truffle sbogliato features black truffle, Campari, carpano antica, and prosecco instead of gin. The white Negroni uses Malfy grapefruit gin, Bianco, Suze gentian, and dry vermouth.
She went on to chat about the upcoming option for a Negroni flight. "We'll be introducing a Negroni flight. So, two-ounce pours of each Negroni are part of our fall menu change. We will have our house Negroni, our new white Negroni, and we'll start with our tropical Negroni, and we'll probably swap that out as it gets a little cooler," she says.
The tropical Negroni is made with pineapple & toasted coconut, rum, Campari, and Cinzano 1757 Rosso. There will also be a mezcal-based Negroni and a Boulevardier, bourbon-based Negroni. For non-drinkers or patrons not in the mood for alcohol, there is a section called Free Spirited that offers a No-groni.
Visit Fox & the Knife's Goldbelly page to order Chef Akunowicz's Boston flavors and have them shipped directly to your door.