London Bar

Negroni

There are cocktails that speak for themselves. The Negroni is one of them. Three ingredients in equal parts, a wide glass, a generous ice cube, and a slice of orange that changes everything. Bitter, herbaceous, with that sweet vermouth undertone that balances the intensity of the Campari. The Negroni doesn't ask for permission: it arrives, takes over, and transforms any bar into a place worth lingering. It has the elegance of something that needs no proof. It's not a cocktail for beginners; it's the cocktail you keep coming back to. London BarWhere time seems suspended between modernism and midnight, the Negroni finds the exact space it deserves.

Recipe

Ingredients:

30 ml of gin
30 ml Campari
30 ml red vermouth (preferably Cinzano Rosso or Carpano Antica Formula)
1 slice or twist of orange peel (for garnish)
Large ice cubes

Instructions:

Fill an Old Fashioned glass with large ice cubes.
Pour the gin, Campari and red vermouth directly over the ice.
Stir gently with a mixing spoon for 20–30 seconds, until the mixture is well blended and cooled.
Garnish with a twist of orange peel, expressing the oils onto the surface of the cocktail before placing it.

Tips

The Negroni is a transitional cocktail: the one that closes the day and opens the night. Its ideal moment is late aperitif time, between 19:00 and 21:00 pm, although in a bar like the London Bar, there's no wrong time to order it. It pairs well with olives, pickles, or a good aged cheese; its bitterness cleanses the palate and prepares you for what's to come. If you're looking for a milder version, ask the bartender to slightly increase the proportion of vermouth; if you prefer more character, a high-proof London Dry gin does the rest. The Negroni also lends itself to honest variations: the Boulevardier (with bourbon instead of gin) or the Sbagliato (with cava or prosecco) are derivatives that deserve their own moment.

History

The most widespread—and most elegant—story places the birth of the Negroni in Florence in 1919. Count Camillo Negroni, a regular at Caffè Casoni, asked bartender Fosco Scarselli to enhance his usual Americano by replacing the soda with gin. The bartender also added a slice of orange instead of lemon to visually distinguish it. The result was so successful that Negroni himself ended up founding a distillery to produce a premixed gin under his name.

This version is documented by genealogical research carried out by Luca Picchi, head bartender of the Caffè Giacosa in Florence, and collected in his book Sulle tracce del conte (2002), considered the most rigorous source on the origin of the cocktail.

There is also an alternative version that attributes the creation to a General Pascal Olivier de Negroni around 1857 in a Parisian gentlemen's club, although this theory lacks solid documentation and most cocktail historians consider it apocryphal or, at least, not verifiable with the available sources.

The Negroni was quickly adopted by Italian aperitivo culture and became internationally popular during the 20th century. Today, it is one of the ten most popular cocktails in the world, according to the annual report. Drinks International Cocktail Report.

Leave your comment Cancel reply

This site uses cookies for you to have the best user experience. If you continue to browse you are giving your consent to the acceptance of the aforementioned cookies and acceptance of our Cookies policy, Click the link for more information.

Notice of cookies