E Campari — the Negroni

Press, 20 April 1979, Page 19

E Campari — the Negroni

A Negroni simultaneously delivers the slv herbal bite of an adult aperitif and the swift, seductive kick of a wellchilled cocktail. It also sharpens one’s philosophical mettle, demanding, as it does, that we take and enjoy the bitter with the

sweet. It is probably for this reason that some people call the Negroni an acquired taste.

The classic proportions for a Negroni should not be tampered with — equal parts of gin, Italian sweet vermouth, and Campari, the brilliant red potion that gives the drink its tawny welcoming glow and characteristic lingering aftertaste. Campari itself is made from what would seem to be an impenetrably secret formula based on bitter and aromatic herbs and orange peel. Campari is designated a "bitters,” which gives it a roosting branch in the ancient elixir family tree.

(Elixirs, whether or not

invested with magical powers by spell-casting chemists, almost invariably derived from

powerful roots and herbs and barks.) Campari’s inventor, suitably enough, was a Milanese by the name of Gaspare Campari. The proprietor of a fashionable cafe and restaurant, Gaspare tirelessly pursued distillation experiments in the cafe basement until the winter of 1882, when he hit upon the recipe that would earn him immortality.

At first his discovery was commercally known as “Bitter d’Olanda,” that is to say, “bitters after the Dutch fashion.” Soon however, the aperitif became known by the maker’s name, which appeared prominently on the label.

The Negroni, by al! reports, was named for a cafe-crawling count who instructed a barman to introduce a shot of gin into his usual Americano, a mixed aperitif comprising

Campari and sweet vermouth. THE FORMULA 1 oz gin, I oz Italian sweet vermouth, 1 oz Campari 1 slice of orange Stir the liquids together with ice until chilled but not overly diluted. Pour or strain into either a chilled stemmed cocktail glass (the pony shape is best) or a small highball glass partly fillled with a few ice cubes. Garnish with an orange slice, either slit to ride the rim or pushed down into the Negroni.