Recipe

All you need is 1/2 oz of each of the following:

• Tequila Blanco
• Tequila Reposado
• Tequila Añejo
• Campari
• Amaro Averna
• Sweet Vermouth
• Dry Vermouth
• Garnish: A lime twist & your favorite Summer read

Instructions: Stir with ice and serve over a large cube. Express the oils from a Lime peel over the drink and drop it in.

* * * *

Ordinary Time is the Church’s longest season, and also its quietest, most mundane. But that’s the secret of it: this is where most of life happens.  Ordinary Time (and the Church Calendar itself) is cyclical, but not static. It’s like a helix, looping back through the same motions, but always a little higher, a little deeper, than before. In fact, it’s name doesn’t mean “plain”, but comes from the word ordinal because it counts time from Pentecost.

The Negroni Joven (pronounced HO-ven) is about this sort of time. It’s named after joven tequila, a blend of aged and unaged tequila, which is exactly what Ordinary Time is for us. It’s new each year, and yet the benefits accumulate over time. So there grows a depth and richness, even in the midst of the newness, adding layers of complexity.

This is also a season that reminds us of our groundedness in time and the world, something tequila embodies well. Agave takes years of patient growth before it can be harvested. It’s a spirit that reminds us of the cultivation needed to be rooted and earthy in the most beautiful way.

The amaros here carry the other heart of the drink: one bitter, one sweet. Most church seasons lean one way or the other, but Ordinary Time is where we learn to live with both as we practice letting bitterness and sweetness sit side by side in tension.

And finally, adding both sweet and dry vermouths makes this a “perfect” Negroni, which also encompasses the sense of completeness . Theologically, that feels about right too. Ordinary Time is the synthesis of all the colors, moods, and lessons of the Church Year folded into one long green stretch of living. It’s where perfection isn’t about getting it all right, but about finding wholeness in the mix.

Lastly, the garnishes: lime green for this season’s liturgical color, coiled into a time-like helix, and your favorite Summer read make this the perfect drink for the most mundane, ordinary of days. (My fav is James Joyce’s Ulysses—what’s yours?)

And yes, this has a bit more spirit than your standard Negroni. That’s deliberate. Ordinary Time comes after Pentecost, after all. We live this stretch of the year with a little more Spirit in us. (And after making it through another Church Year, you’ve earned a stiffer drink.)

Flavor-wise, the Negroni Joven is earthy and rich, with the tequila’s warmth holding together the herbal bitters and the bright citrus edge. It leans contemplative but not heavy—a drink for the middle of the story, when you’re not sure where the next chapter starts, but you’re grateful to still be in it.

Ingredient Notes

This one’s meant to be easygoing, like the season itself. So there’s a ton of flexibility here.

For the tequilas, use whatever you have. I used Espolòn tequilas, but any decent tequila will do. If you don’t happen to have all three ages, that’s fine. Just use a good Reposado and call it a day. You’ll end up with the same general balance of flavor. (And “Reposado” means “rested”, which is also fitting for the Summer).

For the amaros, you’re looking for contrast: one bitter red Italian aperitivo (Campari, Aperol, or even Cappelletti) and one darker, sweeter amaro (Averna, Lucano, or Meletti). Use whatever sweet and dry vermouth you have and prefer. No need to overthink it.

Now, for the garnishes—if you’re feeling creative, you can make a little lime helix. Use a channel knife to cut a long, thin strip of lime peel, then wrap it around a bar spoon while you make the rest of the drink. When done, express it over the top of the glass and hang it from the edge so you catch the aroma. For the book…well, you know your own favorite Summer reading material.

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