The Negroni has been a favoured libation of mine for quite some time. However I wasn't always a fond lover of this potent concoction. At first, our initial meeting was bitter and unpleasant, but with time, my love for it unfolded and grew as I began to understand it on a deeper level.
So, I studied it's origin and long history, I researched the botanicals in the spirits to get an idea of why everything blends together so resplendently, and I became more and more apt at stirring and diluting the cocktail as I tried one after another.
The Birth of Something Beautiful
The widely-known story goes like this. The first Negroni was officially made in 1919 in Florence, Italy in Caffè Cassoni (on Tornabuoni Street) per request by Count Camillo Negroni to the bartender, Fosco Scarselli. The Count would have ordinarily ordered an Americano; a cocktail composed of Campari, sweet vermouth, topped with club soda, and garnished with a lemon. Instead, Count Negroni preferred a stronger tipple, so he requested Fosco to replace the club soda with gin instead. Fosco also garnished the Negroni with the zest of an orange to tell it apart from the Americano.
Orson Welles was in Rome in 1947 filming 'Black Magic' and gave his personal opinion of the Negroni to The Coshocton Tribune, "The bitters are excellent for your liver, the gin is bad for you. They balance each other".
Count Cassoni Challenged?
As with most traditional cocktails throughout the ages, the origin of the Negroni is heavily contested. Just as the invention of the Mai Tai is torn between that of Victor Jules Bergeron 'Trader Vic' and Donn Beach 'Donn the Beachcomber', the schools of thought on the origin of the Negroni are splintered.
The very existence of Count Camillo Negroni is shrouded in mystery. Luca Picchi, the head bartender of Caffé Rivoire; which was around the corner from Caffé Giacosa (formerly Caffé Cassoni), published a book On the Trail of the Count: The True Story of the Negroni Cocktail (2008) which fails to provide any personal meetings or anecdotes of this supposed Count Cassoni character.
According to Francois Hubert, the current Marquis de Negroni, there isn't anyone by the name of Camillo Negroni in their family history which is supported by 315 pages of genealogical content.
Even at official Campari social soiree's, there is seen a cardboard cut-out of a distinguished suited gentlemen assumed to be Count Negroni. In fact, this man is believed to be Arnold Henry Savage Landor; an English painter, explorer, writer and anthropologist that was born in Florence in 1865.
The other claimant of the conception of the Negroni is Pascal Olivier Compte de Negroni. Pascal was a French Corsican Brigadier General who served in the Franco-Prussian War (19th July 1870-10th May 1871) who was stationed as Base Commander at the French colony of St Louis in Senegal, West Africa. Pascal passed away in 1913; which was 6 years before this supposed Count Cassoni figure created the Negroni.
In an excerpt from Hubert, he claims that Count Cassoni is a fictitious character and that the creation of the Negroni is accredited to Pascal Negroni: “…invented the recipe as a present to his bride and a digestive aid for himself where he was married and lived from 1855 to 1865… Later the Negroni drink was adopted by the ‘Cercle Militaire’ (Officers Club), in Paris.” Pascal created the curious concoction at a soiree at the Lunéville Officer's Club on an evening in 1870 and became a popular drink of his fellow gentry.
This claim is supported by a quote by A.W. Bencheroun, a late associate of Pascal Negroni: "...[translated] Dr. Maurice Ousselin, a pharmacist by profession in the “African Pharmacy” located in the corner of Dubois Street and Blaise Diagne. This pharmacy belonged to our family from 1880 and was rented until 1950. Dr. Ousselin treated the French Officers assigned to Senegal and attended their Officers Mess around 1860. He often mentioned the invention of the Negroni Cocktail by a certain Captain de Negroni. I also recall that my mother’s brother who was the grandson on El Hadj Mogdadseck (1826-1880) ... who was very close to the French colonial authorities loved to talk about the Negroni Cocktail".
In my personal opinion, the invention of the Negroni in Florence, Italy in the 20th century does sound plausible since all three of the spirits: Campari, Italian sweet vermouth, and gin, are all spirits that are native to Italy (so they were easily accessible), however the lack of written evidence alluding to this creation makes me curious. Pascal Negroni's story however has more weight and is supported by multiple written sources which share common details.
More Than One Negroni?
Just like the Dirty Martini and the Oaxacan Old Fashioned, there have been many adaptions on the traditional class of cocktails. There are many different variations on the Negroni, some which substitute out spirits and introduce new aperitifs like Suze or Rinomato to elevate more pronounced herbal and vegetal notes:
Cardinale: uses dry vermouth instead of a sweet vermouth.
Agavoni: uses tequila instead of gin.
Boulevardier: uses bourbon or rye whisky instead of gin.
Dutch Negroni: uses Jenever instead of gin.
White Negroni: uses gin, Suze (gentian root aperitif), and Lillet Blanc (sauvignon & semillon grape aperitif wine).
So What Does a Negroni Taste Like?
I'm going to be candid for a second and tell you that the first time I tried a Negroni, it tasted like bitter bathwater that was infused with potpourri and gentian root. And weirdly, I kept coming back for more. There was just something complex, mysterious, and balanced about it that I wanted to figure out.
To me, the nose of a Negroni is perfumed with notes of bitter orange zest, tart pink grapefruit zest, rosemary, and lemon.
The palate has such a long evolution. I mean, grab your hiking gear because we're going on an expedition. It begins with prominent bitter notes of blood orange zest and quinine, woody notes of cassia bark and smoked cinnamon quills from the Campari. Then the gin falls into place, with warm piney notes of rosemary from the juniper berries and cracked peppercorns. Finally, the sweet vermouth trails in lastly with the syrupy, viscous sweetness of blackberries and red cherries.
The aftertaste is rather astringent which I presume comes from the tannic qualities of the sweet vermouth, which also cuts back the spiced clove and gentian root notes in the Campari.
Surely Some Useful Tips for Making a Good Negroni Then?
Firstly, equal parts is essential, This cocktail is tremendously well-balanced so keep it that way. Please. Respect the original recipe. Pay homage to antiquity.
Secondly, and probably most importantly, dilute this drink correctly. Keyword here is dilution. Stir this drink. Don't shake it. I'll know if you have shaken your Negroni. I will find you. I stir my Negroni's in an elegant 725ml Pasabahce Timeless Cocktail Stirring Glass. I fill it 3/4 the way with large ice cubes. I speedily stir until I see some nice chilled condensation alongside the glass. I also make sure my second hand remains near the top of the mixing glass, both to support the glass as I stir, and so the body heat of my hand doesn't reverse the chilling effect of my stirring. I will also test my dilution as I go. Making absolutely sure that I am 100 per cent satisfied with my cocktail before I serve it. You must ask yourself "Would I be happy receiving and drinking this cocktail?".
Lastly, strain your Negroni into a presentable Old Fashioned glass. Please. And with one of those large ice spheres or ice cubes. Pretty please. Finally, garnish with the zest of an orange. Do you want to flame the zest? Do it. No one says you can't. It looks professional and cool.
Experiment with this cocktail too! You won't develop your skills as a mixologist without making these traditional cocktails and without inserting your own creative individual input into them. Here's a video I captured and edited of one of my rifts on a Negroni.
So get started! Make some Negroni's, do some research, drink Campari straight to mature and prepare your palate, improve your dilution, create some variations. Happy Drinking!
By Lucas Barker, a passionate mixologist with seven years of hospitality experience. 10/2/21
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