The Negroni, with its bold and bittersweet taste, boasts a vibrant history to match.

Here’s a guide to the Negroni in all its glory...

The Negroni is a cocktail of elegant simplicity comprising gin, sweet red vermouth, and Campari. It’s traditionally stirred with ice, strained into a rocks glass, and garnished with an orange peel. While the proportions of gin, vermouth, and Campari may be adjusted to suit individual palates, the classic recipe calls for equal measures.

The Negroni’s roots trace back to the early 20th century in Florence, Italy. Count Camillo Negroni, desirous of a stronger variant of his favourite cocktail, the Americano, instructed his bartender, Fosco Scarselli, to replace the soda water with gin and garnish with an orange peel instead of lemon. This potent concoction, named after the Count, quickly gained popularity among the Florentine elite before making its way across Italy and beyond.

The Negroni is a cocktail of contrasts - robust yet refreshing, complex yet balanced. The gin brings warmth and depth, the vermouth contributes subtle herbal and floral undertones, and the Campari lends its signature bitter-citrus note. The orange peel garnish adds a final flourish of aroma and zest. The Negroni, while simple to concoct, leaves a lasting impression.

Ernest Hemingway, the Nobel laureate and adventurer, was known to appreciate Negronis during his global sojourns. His personal twist on the classic involved a splash of soda water, resulting in the ‘Hemingway Negroni’.

In essence, the Negroni is a timeless and versatile cocktail, a harmonious blend of smooth, crisp, bitter, and sweet notes. It’s a straightforward drink to prepare, yet an enduring challenge to truly master...