Celebrating 100 years of The Negroni
In the Ian Fleming story, Risico, James Bond orders a ‘Negroni with Gordon’s’. And if Bond is willing to stray from his beloved martini for another cocktail, you can bet it’s going to have staying power.
The history
We were planning to bring you a concise history of the Negroni cocktail, but our research into the subject brought us a number of conflicting stories, with France, Italy, Africa and America all claiming to be the place it originated. You can read the full history on Difford’s Guide if you’re really interested.
But long-story-short, 2019 is the 100th anniversary of what is thought to be the creation of the Negroni as we know it – reputedly when Count Camillo Negroni ordered an Americano—sweet vermouth, Campari and club soda—with gin swapped in for the standard soda.
Negroni Week
June 24 – 30 marks the official 2019 Negroni Week, which is held each year to toast to one of the world’s favourite cocktails. But, as well as giving us a chance to celebrate this iconic drink, Negroni Week is also a way for bars to raise money for a number of charities.
Since 2013, Negroni Week has grown from about 120 participating venues to almost 10,000 venues around the world, and to date, they have collectively raised about $2 million for charitable causes. Want to get involved? Visit the Negroni Week website and search for participating bars or restaurants near you, head along this week and order your Negroni.
What’s a Negroni?
For the uninitiated, the 100-year-old Negroni is one of the world’s most popular cocktails. It’s a bitter and dry cocktail with a distinctive red hue.
The traditional recipe (equal parts Campari, gin and sweet vermouth) is incredibly easy to follow, however, it’s also very adaptable and there have been hundreds of variations invented over the years.
Create your own
If you don’t get a chance to visit a particpating Negroni Week establishment, maybe you’d like to create one of your own. To help you, we have sourced a few recipes from Scottish Gin brands to give you some inspiration.
Caorunn Twist Negroni – classic with a twist
This take on the classic cocktail uses Caorunn Gin and Aperol instead of Campari.
The Pickering’s Lavender Negroni
Combining the warm spiciness of Pickering’s Gin with Lavender Vermouth, topped with a twist of grapefruit.
Darnley’s Spiced Gin Negroni
A mix of Campari, sherry and Darnley’s Spiced Gin gives us another exciting variation on a classic.
Please enjoy your Negroni Cocktails responsibly.
