Negroni Classico

The Negroni Classico is a bold, bittersweet cocktail that originated in Florence, Italy, around 1919, when Count Camillo Negroni asked his bartender at Caffè Casoni to strengthen his Americano by replacing soda water with gin. This timeless aperitivo balances equal parts of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth, garnished with a twist of orange peel for a sophisticated, aromatic finish.

Ingredients

4 oz (120 ml) dry London gin (such as Beefeater or Tanqueray)

4 oz (120 ml) Campari

4 oz (120 ml) sweet red vermouth (such as Martini Rosso or Carpano Antica)

Large ice cubes for shaking and serving (approximately 16 cubes total)

4 strips of fresh orange peel for garnish

4 maraschino cherries for optional garnish

For non-alcoholic variation: 4 oz non-alcoholic gin (such as Seedlip Spice 94), 4 oz Crodino (Italian non-alcoholic aperitivo), 4 oz Lyre's Aperitif Rosso

Instructions

Fill a large mixing glass or cocktail shaker with a generous amount of ice cubes to ensure the drink is well chilled.

Pour 1 oz (30 ml) of gin, 1 oz (30 ml) of Campari, and 1 oz (30 ml) of sweet red vermouth per serving directly over the ice — working in batches or scaling up for all 4 servings at once if your shaker is large enough.

Stir the mixture with a long bar spoon for 30 to 40 seconds using a steady circular motion until the outside of the mixing glass feels very cold, indicating the drink is properly diluted and chilled. Do not shake, as stirring preserves the cocktail's clear, silky texture.

Prepare 4 old-fashioned (rocks) glasses by adding 2 to 3 large ice cubes to each glass.

Strain the mixture evenly into the 4 prepared glasses using a julep strainer or Hawthorne strainer.

To make the orange peel garnish, cut a 1-inch wide strip of orange peel from a fresh orange using a sharp peeler or knife, avoiding too much of the white pith.

Hold each strip of orange peel skin-side down over each glass and give it a firm twist to express the citrus oils onto the surface of the drink, then run the peel around the rim of the glass.

Drop the twisted orange peel into the glass or balance it on the rim as a garnish, and optionally add a maraschino cherry on a cocktail pick.

For the non-alcoholic variation, repeat all steps using 1 oz Seedlip Spice 94, 1 oz Crodino, and 1 oz Lyre's Aperitif Rosso per serving; garnish identically with orange peel for the full authentic presentation.

Serve immediately as an aperitivo, ideally before a meal, as is traditional throughout northern Italy.