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Davin Topel's

Duck Fat Washed Negroni

For the Modern Huntsman Issue 16 launch event hosted by Duck Camp, I wanted to create a cocktail that reflected the hunting culture and storytelling that brought everyone together that evening.

The event celebrated the debut ofBlood On The Tracks, featuring Chad Leonard and Robert Earl Keen, and brought together hunters, artists, musicians, writers, and conservationists. Rather than serving a standard Negroni, I wanted to create something that felt connected to the field.

Using rendered duck fat, I fat-washed Gordon Castle Walled Garden Gin to add a subtle richness and silky texture to the spirit. The process doesn't make the cocktail taste like duck; instead, it adds depth and a savory quality that complements the bitter orange notes of Campari and the botanicals of the gin.

The result was a cocktail that felt equally at home in a cocktail bar or around a duck camp fire after a successful hunt.

Watch the Video

Duck Fat Washed Gin

Ingredients

  • 750ml Gordon Castle Walled Garden Gin
  • 1 oz rendered duck fat
Method
  1. Warm the duck fat until liquid.
  2. Combine with the gin and shake vigorously.
  3. Allow to rest for 4 to 6 hours.
  4. Freeze overnight.
  5. Remove the hardened fat and strain through a coffee filter.

Cocktail

Ingredients

  • 1 oz Duck Fat Washed Gordon Castle Walled Garden Gin
  • 1 oz Campari
  • 1 oz Punte Mes Sweet Vermouth
Method
  1. Add ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.
  2. Stir until properly chilled and diluted.
  3. Strain over a large cube in a rocks glass.
  4. Express an orange peel over the drink
  5. Garnish with a duck feather sprayed with a combination of orange blossom water and a peated scotch 

Davin Topel is the founder of Spirits Guide Co., a cocktail and spirits consulting company specializing in the intersection of outdoor adventure, hospitality, and storytelling.

With more than 20 years of experience as a distiller, bartender, guide, and outdoorsman, Davin is the community guide at YETI, Spirits Guide and host for Gordon Castle Walled Garden Gin in Scotland and has built beverage programs and experiences for brands, lodges and outfitters across the world.

A passionate hunter and angler, Davin believes the best cocktails are rooted in a sense of place and the stories that bring people together after a day afield. Whether leading guests through fly fishing and hunting experiences in Scotland, creating cocktails inspired by duck camp traditions, or sharing stories around a fire, his goal is always the same: connecting people through food, drink, and the outdoors.

Photos: Matt Henry

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