My booster seat into the world of gin was a Negroni. Now frequenting my shaker at home, I could hardly turn up the chance to imbibe upon finding that this classic Italian aperitif had taken root at Tivoli’s Madalin Table at the Madalin Hotel.
Personalized by resident bear-tender, Daniel, the Tivolian is a scrumptiously smooth mix of classic Negroni spirits with the addition of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and an earthy-sweet infusion of ginger-thyme simple syrup. To say that they go down as smooth as the bar’s ambiance is an understatement – especially at $8 each. (fret not, if you’re looking for a fun night out on the cheap, they also have $3 pints of PBR on tap).
And speaking of the scenery, be sure to belly up to the bar for a story or two from the delightfully gregarious bartender, Daniel. A graduate of Bard’s music program and lifetime resident of towns up-and-down the Hudson, Daniel’s theories on mixology revolve around the power of one thing: freshly squeezed citrus. Highlighted in his exemplary namesake Whiskey Sour, the bar’s rainbow of fresh cut ammunition is a reminder that even in the sleepy town of Tivoli, every Tivolian is something special.
