Sometime between 1919 and 1920, an Italian nobleman entered the Caffè CasoniIn Florence, he made a request that would change the history of bars worldwide. Count Camillo Negroni wanted his Americano different: instead of seltz, gin. The bartender complied. The result became legend.
Today, the Negroni is the best-selling cocktail on the planet. This was confirmed by the magazine. Drinks InternationalA global benchmark in the sector, which immortalized the achievement with a phrase that went around the world: "The King is dead, long live the Negroni!", celebrating the end of eight years of reign of... Old Fashioned at the top of the ranking.
From Florence to the world
The history of the drink, according to Corriere della Sera, revolves around Caffè Casoni, a historical site that later came to be called Giacosa coffeeAccustomed to traveling to the United States and London, Count Negroni had sampled drinks made with distilled spirits and wanted something more substantial than the Americano, which had been his usual order until then.
The identity of the barman The person who fulfilled the request is still subject to debate. Some believe it was Fosco Scarselli; others, Angelo Tesauro. What no one disputes is what came out of the bar: a cocktail that began as an "Americano à la Count Negroni" and soon came to be known simply as the surname of its creator.
One detail sealed the identity of the new drink: the replacement of the lemon slice with a... orange sliceThe orange slice. The choice wasn't random. It served to visually differentiate the Negroni from other appetizers served at the time and has become one of the cocktail's most recognizable elements to this day.
The recipe that never changes.
The secret of the Negroni lies in its simplicity. The original recipe calls for only three ingredients, in equal parts: 3 cl of gin, 3 cl of Campari bitters, and 3 cl of sweet red vermouth. It is then gently mixed with a... bar spoon And it's finished with the classic slice of orange. Nothing more.
This balanced structure has given rise to dozens of variations over the decades, but the original version remains the most requested in the best international bars. The Negroni received praise from the New York Times. and it has established itself as a symbol of the Italian aperitif abroad, even after being highlighted by the American magazine. Punch It's considered one of the most "overrated" drinks on the scene. However, the criticism hasn't stopped its rise. In the United States, where aperitif culture advances every season, the Florentine cocktail continues to win over new fans.
