Negroni’s origin story is as stylishly simple as the drink itself. It is said to have been born in Florence in 1919 when Count Camillo Negroni asked a bartender, Fosco Scarselli, at Caffè Casoni (later Caffè Giacosa) to strengthen his favourite cocktail, the Americano, by replacing soda water with gin. The result, a perfectly bitter, boozy three ingredient mix, quickly took the count’s name. Over the decades the Negroni quietly migrated from Italian cafés to international cocktail culture, carried by expatriates, bartenders, and a growing appreciation for bitter liqueurs, eventually cementing its status as a classic aperitivo and a benchmark for balanced, spirit forward cocktails.

The canonical Negroni (my favourite classical cocktail) is a simple equal parts combination of gin, sweet red vermouth and Campari, stirred over ice and served with an orange twist or slice. Variations swap gin for bourbon (Boulevardier) or white vermouth for lighter colour and flavour (White Negroni). Its popularity rose notably in the mid 20th century as aperitivo culture and Italian liqueurs spread across Europe and the Americas, and saw renewed global resurgence in the 21st century with the craft cocktail movement. Bartenders and enthusiasts prized its bitter backbone, straightforward recipe and endless riffability, turning the Negroni into both a bar staple and a symbol of timeless, effortlessly chic drinking.