Paulius Musteikis
The smoky, spicy Negroni di Oaxaca.
Cento, 122 W. Mifflin St., is particularly strong on amaros, a class of Italian liqueurs produced by macerating herbs and fruit peels in neutral spirit. Often these are quite bitter, ranging from sharp and minty Fernet-Branca to the more easy-drinking Averna, which has notes of chocolate and vanilla.
Amaros figure heavily in the restaurant’s cocktails as well, blended with sweet ingredients to provide balance. The combination makes for drinks with more oomph and interest than normal, like when Ramazzotti amaro raises a Moscow Mule out of the ordinary with an herbaceous edge in the Mulo Romano, or again when it takes a New York Sour (whiskey, lemon juice, wine) to exciting, layered heights in the Toscana Sour.
Cento also features Carpano Antica sweet vermouth on tap. Cocktail hounds love this vermouth — cocoa, fig, dark plum and almond are just a few flavors that come to mind. Carpano also appears in the Negroni di Oaxaca, made with tequila instead of gin. House-infused serrano pepper tequila fuels the burn in this smoky cocktail topped with mezcal and Stiegl-Radler foam. The sweet grapefruit beer provides a citrus lift to the diverse elements in a winning holiday-meets-spice libation, highlighting Carpano Antica’s nuances.
