Negroni Week 2024

Sip this iconic cocktail at hundreds of participating bars from September 16-22 to raise money for Slow Food

Photo by Pedro Souto on Unsplash

The Negroni is one of those cocktails that is loved or not. The divisive libation, made with equal parts of gin, Campari, and vermouth, gets both praise and contempt from people who either savor its bitter sweetness or would rather have a vodka tonic.

But, like most things in life, the longer it takes you to love something, the more loyal you are in the end.

Anthony Bourdain knew all too well that a Negroni isn’t a “love at first sip” cocktail. In an interview with Barron’s Bourdain said, "It's three liquors that I'm not particularly interested in," he explained, "but put them together with a slice of orange. It works. ... That first sip is confusing and not particularly pleasant. But, man, it grows on you."

The drink also has a few origin stories, with the most popular one set in Florence in 1919. Count Camillo Negroni ordered an Americano cocktail at the Caffe Casoni (Campari, sweet vermouth, and seltzer), asking for gin instead of seltzer by mistake. The cocktail proved to be so popular, that his family founded the Negroni Distillery which made ready-to-drink versions. Yes, it could be said that Negronis were the ancestors of the canned cocktail craze.

Since then, the Negroni has been tweaked more times than a Hollywood actor at a med spa. In the 1960s, Bar Basso in Milan exchanged prosecco for the divisive gin and created the Negroni Sbagliato.

Like all things, the Negroni Sbagliato made a comeback recently, getting mixed reviews from Stanley Tucci (who prefers his with vodka).

Walk into any bar and you’ll find even more iterations of the classic including barrel-aged Negronis, rum Negronis, Scotch Negronis, and White Negronis.

Next week, we celebrate the Negroni with Negroni Week.

Hundreds of bars worldwide have joined Negroni Week, serving up their versions of the classic cocktail. In exchange, the bars will donate a portion of proceeds for every Negroni sold to Slow Food, an organization of local communities in more than 160 countries that seeks to change the world through food and beverage that is good for both people and the planet.

To find a participating bar near you, visit negroniweek.com.

If you want to make your own Negroni at home, why not try these versions? The French Negroni is made with Grand Brulot, a French cognac and coffee liquor blend and the Delaney is a take on a Scotch Negroni. Finally, the white negroni is a fragrant, colorless version of the classic.

French Negroni

• 1 oz Grand Brulot

• 1 oz Campari

• 1 oz Campano 

• Orange wheel

Build in a rocks glass over large ice cube. Garnish with an orange wheel.

Delaney

• 1.5 oz Fior Scotch

• 1 oz sweet vermouth

• 1 oz Campari

• Orange twist

Add the Scotch, vermouth, and Campari to a cocktail shaker with ice and gently shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

White Negroni

• 1 oz Aviation American Gin
  1 oz Blanc Vermouth
  1 oz Gentian Liqueur
  Rosemary Sprig

Combine all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice. Stir, then strain into a glass with one large ice cube. Garnish with rosemary sprig.