Negroni Cocktail

Not all cocktails have an intriguing backstory, but people have written whole books about this one. In short, Count Camillo Negroni invented it in 1919. Cocktail historians say that Count Negroni, a gambler and a bit of a rogue, liked to frequent the Caffé Casoni in Florence, Italy, and drink Americanos — apéritifs made with Campari, sweet vermouth, and club soda. Perhaps the drink was too fizzy and light: One night, he asked the bartender, Fosco Scarselli, to irrobustire, or fortify, the drink by swapping out the club soda for gin, and just like that, the Negroni was born.

According to Scarselli, Count Negroni loved his invention and drank up to 40 Negronis a day. We wouldn’t go that far, but the Negroni is definitely right up there with the Old Fashioned as a classic go-to cocktail. It’s a booze-forward drink for sure, but that’s what makes it so layered and well-balanced. Just when the bittersweet blood orange of the Campari feels a bit much, mellow vermouth and gin smooth things out—it’s a little sweet, bright, and aromatic.

This is a classy, grown-up drink. Bartenders have always given us mad props for ordering it, and your friends will too if you serve it for summer patio happy hours. It’s a beautiful drink, so this might be the time to splurge on an elegant set of glasses — and, perhaps, a colossal ice cube mold.

Our tip: We love that this recipe is a simple 1:1 mix of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth, so it's easy to batch. If you and the S.O. are cocktailing, make a small pitcher of Negronis, chill it completely in the fridge, and pour it into ice-filled glasses.