The Negroni has a bitter charm that has long defied cocktail trends, outlasting fads with its unwavering simplicity. Its origins trace to Florence, around 1919, when Count Camillo Negroni asked a bartender to strengthen his Americano by swapping out the soda water for gin. The bartender obliged, added an orange peel instead of a lemon twist, and a classic was born.
What followed was a century of reverence from bartenders and drinkers alike. The Negroni’s bitter backbone, balanced with botanical intrigue and a citrus lift, makes it one of the few cocktails that drinks well before a meal, after a meal, or late into the night. It’s a cocktail with no fluff and no garnish required beyond that orange twist—more ritual than decoration.
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