Negroni is another timeless cocktail that has been around for more than a century, this time with an Italian origin.
It is made from equal parts of London dry gin, Campari bitter, and sweet red vermouth.
The genealogy of the Negroni is relatively straightforward. According to the most popular account, the Negroni is a direct descendant of the Americano cocktail, which itself evolved from the Milano-Torino cocktail.
The Milano-Torino was created in the late 1860s at the Milanese café Caffè Camparino, owned by Gaspare Campari—the very same Campari who developed the famous Campari bitter.
Campari bitter, introduced between 1860 and 1867, is a bittersweet, aromatic liqueur with a distinctive carmine-red color. Its alcohol content varies between 20.5% and 28.5% ABV depending on the country where it is sold. The recipe features up to 68 different herbs and fruits, including various citruses, resulting in an intensely herbal, citrusy, and floral aroma. Its pronounced bitterness, most likely derived from quinine, is polarizing—not everyone enjoys it, but I personally do. Naturally, the exact recipe remains a closely guarded company secret.
Campari’s signature red hue was historically achieved using carmine derived from cochineal insects—tiny sap-feeding creatures. However, since 2006, the Campari Group has transitioned to synthetic carmine, making it vegan-friendly.
When promoting a liqueur, it makes sense to create cocktails featuring it. Naturally, Caffè Camparino began serving the Milano-Torino, a cocktail made of equal parts Campari and sweet red vermouth. The drink was named after the geographical origins of its ingredients—Campari from Milan and vermouth from Turin, the main production hub for the latter. The cocktail quickly gained popularity.
In the second half of the 19th century, Americans developed a fondness for traveling to Italy. They didn’t shy away from trying a glass of Milano-Torino but often requested the addition of soda water. This variation of the drink, diluted with soda, became known as the Americano. At least, this is the most widely accepted account of the Americano’s origin.
Fast forward to 1919: Count Camillo Negroni visited his favorite café, Café Casoni, located on Via de’ Tornabuoni in picturesque Florence. That day, he felt like trying something stronger than his usual Americano. Still wanting the essence of the Americano but with more punch, he asked the bartender, Fosco Scarselli, for a creative twist. Scarselli substituted soda water with gin. To further distinguish the new cocktail from the Americano, he swapped the traditional lemon zest garnish for an orange slice.
The idea was a hit, and Scarselli added the new creation to the bar menu, naming it Negroni in honor of the Count. This is the most popular legend surrounding the creation of the Negroni cocktail and is even featured on the official Campari website.
Of course, there are inconsistencies and debates around this story—some claim it wasn’t the same Negroni, or that it wasn’t Count Negroni at all, but someone else entirely. The exact truth has been lost to time, but, regardless, a good story is always better than none. So let it be Count Negroni and Florence.
The first documented recipe for the Negroni is also a subject of debates. However, if we consider the equal proportions of ingredients to be mandatory, then only two options remain. The first is from 1929, in the French cocktail book L’Heure du Cocktail by Alimbau and Milhorat. According to this recipe, the cocktail—called “Campari Mixte”—is made with equal parts but is shaken, not stirred. The second is from 1953, in the United Kingdom Bartenders’ Guild – Guide to Drinks, published in London. Here, the cocktail is explicitly named “Negroni,” stirred (as it should be), but features a lemon garnish instead of the now-traditional orange slice. Let’s forgive that detail.
One way or another, the Negroni rose to fame and is now included on the International Bartenders Association (IBA) list of “Unforgettable” cocktails.
Over its decades of existence, countless variations of the Negroni have emerged. Here are just a few examples:
Aperol Negroni – Aperol replaces Campari.
Dutch Negroni – Jenever (Dutch gin) takes the place of standard gin.
Agavoni or Tegroni – Tequila replaces gin.
Negroscan – Akvavit (a Scandinavian spirit) replaces gin.
Pisco Negroni – Pisco (a South American brandy) stands in for gin.
Negroski – Vodka replaces gin.
Unusual Negroni – Aperol replaces Campari, and Lillet Blanc takes the place of sweet vermouth.
Of course, these are just a handful of examples.
Recipe according to IBA:
Ingredients:
-1 oz/ 30 ml London Dry Gin
-1 oz/ 30 ml Campari
-1 oz/ 30 ml Sweet Red Vermouth
Process:
Pour all ingredients into ice-filled glass. Stir.
Garnish: Orange slice
Drinkware:
Old-fashioned glass
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