Bitter and classic here is one of Italy’s most famous cocktails. This is the Negroni.
While the exact origins of the Negroni are unclear, its first report account of being made is in Florence , Italy at the Caffè Casoni in 1919 (formerly Caffè Giacosa), on Via de' Tornabuoni and now called Caffè Roberto Cavalli. It was ordered by count Camillo Negroni who wanted a strengthened version of his favourite drink the Americano but with Gin in place of the traditionally used soda water. The bartender Fosco Scarselli also added an orange peel garnish instead of the lemon peel used in an Americano to signify the cocktail was different.
After the drink’s success at bars the Negroni family opened the Negroni Distillery in Treviso, Italy to produce ready a ready-made version of the drink known as Antico Negroni 1919. Orson Wells described the drink in his in correspondence with the Coshocton Tribune while working in Rome on Cagliostro in 1947 and said "The bitters are excellent for your liver; the gin is bad for you. They balance each other.". Descendants of General l Pascal Olivier de Negroni, Count de Negroni, say he was the Count Negroni who invented the drink in 1857 in Senegal and other articles from 1980 have stated he made the drink in 1914.
History aside, the Negroni is a very easy to make cocktail as it only requires 3 ingredients of equally measure. The Gin , Campari and Vermouth all bring something special to the drink and once you have tried it you will understand why it has become so popular. The fruity sweetness from the Vermouth helps balance out the bitterness and alcohol taste from the Campari and Gin making for a perfectly well-balanced cocktail. IT is considered an Aperitif and a drink you would have before dinner but feel free to give it a go any time you want. Here is how it is made.
Ingredients
1 oz.(30ml) London Dry Gin
1 oz. (30ml) Campari
1 oz. (30ml) Sweet Vermouth
Garnish: An orange peel
Preparation
In a mixing glass filled with ice add all your ingredients and stir with a bar spoon till the glass is chilled.
Pour and strain the mixture into an Old-fashioned rocks glass over fresh ice.
Garnish with your orange peel.
Additional Information
This is a cocktail which is the perfect opportunity to make use of your bitters if you have any. In this drinks case I would definitely go for an Orange bitter as it suits the theme of the drink and the flavours that already come with it.
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