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As someone who enjoys her gin with the minimal tonic and a twist of lemon, the Negroni is one cocktail that is my go-to when there's time to savour something subtle but sophisticated.
With the annual Negroni Week around the corner, it is only fair to dig a little bit into the history of this delicious concoction. As the story goes, the cocktail supposedly originated in Florence in 1919. The most commonly accepted story involves a nobleman named Count Camillo Negroni, a regular at Caffè Casoni in Florence. One day, he asked the bartender, Fosco Scarselli, to make his favourite cocktail, the Americano, but with a bit more kick. Instead of soda water, he requested he add gin.
Scarselli obliged and added a twist by garnishing the drink with an orange slice instead of the usual lemon twist. The result was a new cocktail that soon became known as the Negroni, named after its innovator. The Negroni's mix of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth has since become a staple in cocktail culture, celebrated for its balanced bitterness and complexity.
Since Italy is the birthplace of the famous drink, here are 5 bars you should visit when in the country for a sip of the perfect Negroni.
Start your Negroni journey with the classic at Gilli, Florence's venerable café that stands as the city's oldest and revered icon among Italy's literary cafés. Here, you'll encounter one of the foremost Negroni aficionados: Luca Picchi. Renowned not only as a master bartender across Tuscany but also as a scholar of drink's rich history, Luca has delved deeply into the tale of Count Camillo Negroni and the creation of this iconic cocktail. His extensive research and several published works on the subject reflect his profound expertise. While Luca has crafted many inventive variations of the Negroni over the years, savour the classic version, which, like the ambience of Gilli itself, exudes an enduring elegance.
Address: Via Roma, 1r, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
Elegance and sophistication define the cocktail bar at Palazzo Papadopoli, an illustrious palace gracing the Grand Canal in Venice, under the expert guidance of bar manager Antonio Ferrara. In The Bar's grand frescoed hall, guests can unwind on plush sofas while enjoying a perfectly crafted classic Negroni. This timeless cocktail, expertly balanced with bitter, vermouth, and London Dry gin, is elevated by a fragrant twist of orange peel. For those seeking a modern twist, the "Constancy" cocktail offers a bold, spicy adventure featuring Nepalese pepper and grapefruit adorned with a black pepper rim and a touch of orange powder.
Address: Calle Tiepolo, 1364, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy
Rasputin stands as one of Florence's elusive speakeasies, and its address is a tempting mystery: "somewhere in Santo Spirito." Once you uncover its hidden location, you'll step into a Victorian-style lounge that feels as though it was lifted from an Arthur Conan Doyle novel. Here, the refined ambience is curated by bar manager Daniele Cancellara, who greets guests with a signature welcome: a mini Negroni. As a whiskey connoisseur, Daniele is the perfect guide to explore one of the world's most renowned Negroni variations—the Boulevardier. This sophisticated twist replaces the traditional gin with whiskey, offering a rich, nuanced alternative to the classic cocktail.
Address: Somewhere in Santo Spirito, Firenze FI, Italy
In the heart of Rome, Drink Kong—ranked No. 21 in The World's 50 Best Bars 2023—stands out for its avant-garde approach to mixology, seamlessly blending minimalist design with Japanese influences. The bar, evoking a Blade Runner-esque ambience, unfolds across several distinctive rooms. Founded by Patrick Pistolesi, Drink Kong is renowned for its innovative take on the classic Negroni. Pistolesi's creation, the Paradox, elevates the cocktail to a "bizarre and deep" realm by accentuating its bitter profile with chicory, laurel cordial, and pink grapefruit. The result is a smooth, citrus-forward concoction, perfectly transparent and elegantly served in a tumbler.
Address: Piazza di S. Martino Ai Monti, 8, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
At Bar Basso in Milan, a celebrated hub of refined drinking, the aperitif hour transforms into a stylish gathering of fashion and design luminaries. Here, the spotlight shines on the sbagliato, a celebrated Negroni twist born from a lucky 'mistake'—the very meaning of "sbagliato" in Italian. You might have heard English actor Emma D'Arcy famously announcing their love for the sbagliato in a recent interview. But this serendipitous creation goes back to the 1970s when Mirko Stocchetto, inadvertently using prosecco instead of gin, blended bitter and vermouth to craft a new classic. The crowd embraced the unique twist, leading it to be named after the original blunder. Today, the sbagliato continues to enchant patrons at Bar Basso, expertly served by Mirko's son, Maurizio Stocchetto.
Address: Via Plinio, 39, 20133 Milano MI, Italy
