For over a century, it has been the definitive aperitivo cocktail. Its recipe has been studied and reimagined countless times, yet the classic Negroni remains one of the most revered drinks in the world.
Born in Florence in 1919, it carries a genuinely compelling history. It was Count Camillo Negroni who conceived the idea of a cocktail similar to the Americano, but fortified with gin.
According to the legend, the Count approached a young barman, Fosco Scarselli, who at the time worked in a drogheria on Via de’ Tornabuoni — Casoni — where the Count liked to sit and enjoy his favourite drinks.
It was here, upon returning from one of his travels, that the Count asked for a modification to his usual drink — a blend of bitter and red vermouth. He wanted something more robust, perhaps with the addition of a spirit he had fallen for during his many sojourns in London: gin. And so the Negroni was born.
From Florence, the cocktail spread rapidly under the name “Americano alla maniera del conte Negroni,” eventually settling on the simpler name it bears today.
Count Camillo Negroni
A man as eccentric as he was compelling, Count Negroni reads almost as a fictional character. American-born and a cowboy, he had lived in London, then Wyoming, then New York. Beyond mixology — learned in the English-speaking world — the Count cultivated distinctive interests: fencing and gambling.
He was certainly a man who enjoyed being noticed, passing through the streets of Florence in his top hat at the wheel of one of the city’s first automobiles.
Fosco Scarselli, in an interview in the 1960s, recalled him as a relentless drinker: “There were days he managed to put away forty drinks, yet I never once saw him drunk.”
Whatever his secret was, we shall never know. What is certain is that the Count preferred a cordial glass to the standard tumbler.
It was he who introduced the garnish of a slice of orange — a genuine innovation at the time and his personal signature. In those days, cocktails were finished with lemon zest; the use of orange was a genuine extravagance.
From Florence to Milan: Bar Basso and the Negroni Sbagliato
From Florence, the Negroni spread with remarkable speed. One city in particular embraced this iconic cocktail, being the home of one of its principal ingredients: Campari of Milan.
Our story continues in a small establishment — Bar Basso — where Mirko Stocchetto, one of the city’s most celebrated barmen, worked during the 1970s.
It was here, from a mistake, that another iconic cocktail was born: the Negroni Sbagliato.
One day, Stocchetto was preparing the Negroni: bitter, then vermouth. He reached for what he thought was the gin, garnished with orange, and served the drink. Too late, he realised a waiter had placed a bottle of Ferrari Spumante where the gin should have been.
Unexpectedly, the cocktail was a triumph. And so, in 1972, the Negroni Sbagliato was born.
The Ingredients of the Negroni
The Negroni originated as a variant of the Americano, with soda replaced by gin.
Straightforward to prepare, it arises from the knowing blend of bitter, red vermouth and gin.
Bitter is an amaro — an infusion of officinal plants in alcohol, aromatised according to the producer’s vision. It is properly an aperitivo liqueur.
Composed of approximately 75% wine, Vermouth is what the ancient Greeks would have called an “Hippocratic wine” — a wine-based beverage to which ethyl alcohol, spices, aromatic herbs and flavourings are added.
The vermouth used in the Negroni is the red variety — a sweet vermouth containing a minimum of 130 grams of sugar. Its sweetness is perfectly counterbalanced by a herbaceous bitter note.
The Negroni: Traditional Recipe
The secret lies in its simplicity: three equal parts of bitter, gin and red vermouth. The vermouth, being an aromatised fortified wine, should be calibrated with care.
The Star of the Negroni: Gin
Given that gin is the spirit that gave birth to the Negroni, it merits a chapter of its own. Every gin differs from the next, and the botanicals that define it will lend an ever-changing character to your drink.
Through its infusion of liquorice and bitter orange, Luxardo London Dry Gin gives the right balance of sweetness and bitterness.
Beefeater Gin, with its nine botanicals, lends a distinctly citrus edge through almond and Seville orange peel.
The sweetness of angelica root and the spiced note of coriander in Tanqueray will gently soften your Negroni.
And then there is Gin Vettore. With its exclusive recipe featuring more than seven distinct botanicals, it combines seamlessly with the bitterness of the bitter and the sweet-bitter quality of the vermouth.
Making the Negroni: Practical Notes
This remarkable aperitivo has a disarmingly simple formula: “a third of everything,” served in a rocks glass.
In classic recipes, the build technique is used — pouring ingredients directly over ice — we recommend Bitter del Redentore for an authentic touch. The recommendation is to prefer the stir technique, combining ingredients with ice in a mixing vessel. This yields a drink that is cold and diluted just enough to be fully appreciated.
Milan’s Negroni: The Negroni Sbagliato
Born from an error in Milan, the Negroni Sbagliato has itself become iconic worldwide.
The Negroni carries approximately 27% ABV. The Sbagliato, by contrast, is considerably lighter: sparkling wine in place of gin renders it markedly more approachable.
Served in an Old Fashioned glass, it is mixed directly using the classic “a third of everything” formula.
Variations on the Theme
This remarkable cocktail lends itself to numerous reinterpretations:
The Cardinale (1950s): vermouth replaced with Moselle Riesling.
The Revised Cardinale: red vermouth substituted with Dry vermouth.
The Negroni Pallido: gin with Martini Riserva Ambrato Vermouth, Biancosarti and a barspoon of Limoncello di Sorrento.
The Boulevardier: the French cousin, replacing gin with Bourbon.
The Negroski: vodka in place of gin.
The Japanese Negroni: red vermouth, bitter and saké.
To Conclude: The Negroni with Gin Vettore
And finally, our own interpretation. Negroni and Gin Vettore (pictured) — a singular flavour, fortified, just as Count Camillo Negroni taught us, with fine gin.
- 3 cl of Bitter del Redentore
- 3 cl of Gin Vettore
- 3 cl of ruby red Vermouth
Served in a rocks glass with a slice of orange and two blueberries as garnish — a nod to our territory and the craftsmanship of our bartender.
Not to be missed.
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