A conversation with John Rossman - author, advisor, keynote speaker, former leader at Amazon.
Welcome to another episode of the Cocktails & Commerce Podcast. This week, we continue our inaugural series of the C&C Pod with another great episode. Bill and I are joined by the insightful and charming John Rossman. John is a multiple-time author, keynote speaker, longtime strategic advisor, and founding leader of Amazon’s Marketplace. I had the pleasure of meeting and working with John many years ago at Amazon, and have had the opportunity to enjoy many great conversations with John over the years - and it is great to bring one of those to you today.
John recently released a new book, together with his co-author Kevin McCaffrey, and he joined us to mix up some Negroni’s and discuss many of the insights packed into Big Bet Leadership. The book is a bit of a departure from John’s very successful Amazon Way book series, but draws on many important lessons on how Amazon approaches ‘big bets’, as well as looking at T-Mobile where John and Kevin together led major transformations. The book is packed with insights and stories, and it was a pleasure to dig into those on the pod with John. John also publishes a great newsletter on Substack we recommend - The Digital Leader.
We lead off - as always - with a bit of cocktail talk. Some of that I elaborate on below, but you can also hear what John’s ‘Big Bet GPT’ has to say about the Negroni on the episode. I include the spec for the variation I made below - my Barolo Split Negroni.
I know you will enjoy the episode, but as always, look forward to your thoughts and comments.
Cheers!
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This Weeks ‘Podtail’? The iconic Negroni - with a variation
The Negroni is perhaps Italy’s most prominent contribution to mixology and the cocktail pantheon. The history of the Negroni is relatively clear in its general outlines, but like many cocktail origin stories, there are gaps and perhaps some - shall we say - creative license introduced along the way.
The first account of the Negroni was contained in a letter written sometime between the end of World War I and October 1920 by Count Camillo Negroni, a Florentine aristocrat. He apparently was quite the character - having spent time as a professional gambler, a fencing instructor, and even in America as some sort of cowboy.
As he recounted in the letter, that once back in Florence after the war he took to having the bartender at Florence’s Caffè Casoni make him an Americano, only boozier. The bartender swapped in gin for the Americano’s soda water, and wala! - the Negroni was born. But it was really in Paris that the drink took off during ‘The Roaring Twenties’. It apparently became so popular that American humorist Nina Wilcox Putman apparently joked that, “All Gaul was divided into three parts; one part gin; one part vermouth, and one part Italian bitters.”
Later, those bitters became somewhat standardized as Campari - but back then they were probably using all sorts of Italian-style orange bitters which are close cousins of Campari. The drink fell out of favor with the rise of Italian fascism and WWII, but then had a renaissance when it was adopted as the drink of dopoguerra (“postwar”) Italy and of la dolce vita (“the sweet life”). Italy was suddenly very glamorous, and the Negroni became the drink of the jet-set in America, Europe, and beyond.
Today the Negroni still carries that air of sophistication - appealing to those of refined palate (looking at you!) - and has become a seminal and foundational drink in the world of mixology. It’s simple 1:1:1 ratio and balance of herbaceousness, bitter, and sweet proved to be a phenomenal template upon which to riff.
Here is one such riff discussed on the episode which I enjoy, where the sweet vermouth is split with Barolo Chinato - a fortified wine from Piedmont that leverages that region's legendary Barolo wine. Barolo Chinato borrows much of its nature from sweet vermouths - leveraging quinine and other bittering agents used in Italian and French vermouths - but is sweeter and richer. So this one is a nice one to try if someone claims that Negroni’s are a bit too bitter (challenge them with this one!), and also a wonderful rich variation Negroni lovers will enjoy.
Cheers!
Barolo Split Negroni Cocktail Spec, Serves One
1 oz (~ ml) - Dry Gin )Botanist or Plymouth recommended)
1 oz (~ ml) - Campari
.5 oz (~ ml) - Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi de Torino or Carpano Antica Formula recommended)
.5 oz (~ ml) - Barolo Chinato
Garnish - orange twist or olive
The process:
Add all ingredients to a mixing pitcher and then add ice. Stir until cold, or approx. 30 seconds. If you prefer having it up, strain into a couple or cocktail glass, or add a large ice cube to a rocks glass and pour the drink over it. Express the oils from the orange peel, rub on the rim (and stem it you are using a coupe or cocktail glass) and then drop in. (Preparation time: 3 minutes)
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Be well, be safe, and here is to good business! Cheers! - Brian & Bill
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C&C Pod: Negronis with John Rossman - author, transformation advisor, & former Amazon leader