When you think about cocktails to sip on the poolside, you might not picture a Negroni, but chef and television personality Geoffrey Zakarian is pushing his variation, the white Negroni, as the perfect summer sip. It's a loose re-imagination of the classic cocktail that replaces gin, vermouth, and Campari with other ingredients.

In Zakarian's white Negroni, the gin becomes rum, sweet vermouth becomes Cocchi, and Campari becomes Suze, a bitter herbal French liqueur with a lighter amber color than Campari’s deep red. Cocchi has notes of rhubarb, balsam, and bitter orange and provides herbal notes that give this refreshing cocktail the Negroni spirit.

To make the white Negroni a bit sweeter and more tropical, try a coconut rum like Malibu or Kōloa, or for a dryer Negroni, opt for a dark rum like Plantation or Goslings for a deeper, more robust cocktail. For a great summer meal, Zakarian recommends pairing your white Negroni with a lighter entrée like linguine or clams.