The History of the Negroni

The Negroni is no longer only the drink of choice for the elder at the bar. It's an old school cocktail that's bitter, strong, and has made its way back into trending favorites on menus in bars around the world. 

The Negroni was preceded by the still beloved Americano cocktail. The Americano is similar, with Campari, sweet vermouth, and sod water. 

There's no consensus on the origin, but it's believed that the Negroni began at Caffè Casoni in Florence, Italy around 1919. As the story goes, the Count Camillo Negroni invented the drink when he ordered an Americano with gin instead of soda water. It was such a hit that his family, the Negronis founded a distillery to produce a ready-to-drink version of the cocktail that they called Antico Negroni 1919.

In 1947, Orson Welles spoke of the Negroni, saying, “The bitters are excellent for your liver, the gin is bad for you. They balance each other.” This pulled it further into pop culture and helped it land its place on bar menus around the world.

From there, many different variations have been created, including the Negroni Spagliato, the White Negroni, and more.

In 2013 Imbibe Magazine launched Negroni Week as a celebration of this classic cocktail and an effort to raise money for charitable causes around the world.

You can enjoy a Negroni for Negroni Week from September 21-26 by finding a participating bar on their site.

And don't forget to grab the right glassware for enjoying one at home.

Negroni

Ingredients:

• 1 oz gin
• 1 oz Campari
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
  

Garnish: Orange twist

Glassware: Rocks glass

Method:

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass. Add ice and stir. Strain over a rock in a rocks glass. Express an orange twist over the glass and garnish. Serve and enjoy.