Guns of Barbaresco

This cocktail softens potent 100-proof apple brandy with bright lemon and Barolo Chinato, a bittersweet, herb- and spice-dosed digestivo made from one of Italy's best wines. The results are rich, fruity, and spirituous.

Partly Cloudy

A riff on a Dark and Stormy; the resemblance comes in the pairing of ginger and rum (and, well, the name). At the Spotted Pig, bar manager Ryan Gannon makes his own falernum: a sweet syrup that uses allspice and ginger and clove and lime zest steeped in over-proof rum "until it gets nice and happy," when it's combined with simple syrup with almond extract; in the drink, it commingles with lime and grapefruit juice along with Mount Gay rum, Aperol, and ginger beer.

White Negroni

A riff on the classic crimson version, the White Negroni pairs gin with white (blanc) vermouth and uncolored bitter liqueur for a neutral-hued, but still-bracing, cocktail.

Blonde Redhead

This cocktail, created by Douglas Derrick of Ava Gene's in Portland, Oregon, is a masterful combination of just three ingredients: spicy whiskey, luscious vermouth, and complex Barolo Chinato, a bittersweet, herb- and spice-dosed digestivo made from one of Italy's best wines. The result is chocolaty, smooth, and deep. Though it's in the same family, it's subtler than a Boulevardier.

Quill

This classic twist on a Negroni adds in some absinthe to bring great herbal and light anise flavor that lingers in the background.

Man About Town

This cocktail from Gramercy Tavern in NYC is a take on a Boulevardier (which is like a Negroni, but with bourbon instead of gin). Here, however, spicy rye is the star, complemented by the bittersweet Sicilian amaro, Cynar.

Lucien Gaudin

Introducing the Lucien Gaudin. Named for an early 20th century French Olympic fencer, the Lucien Gaudin starts off in the manner of a Negroni by combining gin with Campari. With the addition of Cointreau and dry vermouth the result is a pleasantly bitter drink that is simultaneously rich and dry--a challenging flavor to create which is all the more enjoyable because of its rarity.

Italian Buck (Amaro and Ginger Beer Highball)

This fizzy, spicy, sweet-tart, and bitter drink was created by Jamie Boudreau of Canon in Seattle, and appears in Amaro by Brad Thomas Parsons. It's a little like a bitter, gutsy take on a Dark 'n Stormy, but instead of rum, the drink is made with two bittersweet Italian liqueurs: orangey Montenegro and vegetal Cynar.

Basin Street Blues

This cocktail, adapted from Domenica in New Orleans, is pretty low in alcohol, but not at all low in flavor. It reminds us of caramel and lemon drops, with an essential smoky addition from a few drops of Scotch.

Jeff Faile's Negroni D'Amore

Ransom Old Tom gin adds richness to this Negroni variation from Fiola in Washington DC.