Pour me a Negroni.
Make sure it's one part Campari, gin and sweet vermouth, stirred and chilled perfectly then poured on the rock - don't forget the orange rind!
Image: Ensof Photography
From it's humble beginnings in Florence, Italy around 1919... The Negroni, a classic cocktail is quite possibly the 'it' cocktail to drink at the moment - especially this week.
One day, Count Camilo Negroni needed a drink. His usual Americano cocktail consisting of Campari, sweet vermouth and soda just didn't have enough kick to it so he requested a tipple with a little more punch from the bartender, Fosco Scarselli. With the addition of gin and the subtraction of soda, the Negroni was born.
The classic Negroni has always existed but really took a turn when 2011 marked 'the year of the Negroni'. It was fantastic for Campari - for without Campari you can't have a Negroni. The marketing campaign of this wonderous classic cocktail turned into a yearly celebration - Negroni week.
Negroni week is a great marketing campaign, a genius way to sell a lot of Campari but it is also a fantastic fundraiser and has raised over $600 000 to various charities since it started in 2013. Each year, bars around the world will register for Negroni week and develop their own twist on the classic 20th Century cocktail and donate a percentage of each drink sold to their elected charity.
From that small request in Cafe Carsoni that spiralled into a worldwide marketing campaign which has built an international community for charity - who would have thought just one drink could be so powerful?
I'll drink to that.
Find out more at Negroniweek
Cover image credit: punchdrink.com