Negroni was born in Florence!

Now that Mojito and Moscow Mule are all the rage as aperitifs, there are classic cocktails that have stood the test of time and moods. Negroni is definitely one of these! Who has not heard of it? The original recipe includes equal parts of bitter, gin and red vermouth. It is precisely this last one that gives it its characteristic color made even more brilliant by the contrast with the orange of the ever-present orange peel.

Like so many other good things, even Negroni was born in Tuscany, in Florence to be precise. In the years from 1915 onwards, a cocktail called Americano was very fashionable in the cafes and bars of the city, containing a mix of bitter and red vermouth. At Caffè Casoni, in the elegant Via Tornabuoni, Count Negroni was one of the most loyal customers, a great fan of women, horses and even travelling. It was probably in one of his trips to London that he came to appreciate gin. Back in Florence he asked his trusted bartender, Folco Scarselli, to fortify his Americano with gin. From then on, all those who requested the same change to the cocktail asked the counter for a drink ‘in the manner of the Negroni’. Later the order became simpler and clearer: ‘one Negroni, please!’

All this happened around 1919, so if math is not an opinion, this year the strong cocktail is 100 years old but it definitely does not look that old! In fact, it makes a fine show on the tables of bars, cafes and during before-dinner drinks around the world! Sure, to drink it in Florence in one of the bars overlooking Piazza della Repubblica or Piazza della Signoria is something else altogether! But first don’t miss the chance to visit the city with our walk in Florence and a guided tour of the Uffizi gallery! A Negroni will be the perfect drink to sip feeling fully relaxed at the end of your excursion!