How the Negroni cocktail came about

Its all Florentine history and where to go to drink it in the city

One-third red martini, one-third campari and one-third gin. All served in an old-fashioned glass with half an orange slice.

Un terzo di martini rosso, un terzo di campari e un terzo di gin: è il mitico Negroni

Negroni, the original one, is said to have been mixed for the first time at Caffè Casoni on Via de' Tornabuoni, which later became Caffè Giacosa.

From the end of the nineteenth century in Florentine cafés in the late afternoon the "vermouth hour" was triggered for gentlemen, along with that of Bitter, which after a while was followed by the fashion of consuming a combination of Vermouth and Bitter that is still popular today, the Americano. It was the dawn of the Negroni.

Il Negroni compie cento anni

But it was on Via de' Tornabuoni, 83 one afternoon a century ago that Count Camillo Negroni asked legendary bartender Fosco Scarselli to "toughen up" his Americano with a splash of gin instead of soda, adding the extraordinary and unmistakable bitter taste of juniper to the drink.

For a short time it became "an Americano in the manner of Count Negroni," but soon its name was simply Negroni.

Since then that ruby-red cocktail has entered legend.

Where do you order the best Negroni in Florence? At Caffè Gilli in Piazza della Repubblica, the oldest café in the city.

Atrium Bar - Four Seasons Hotel Firenze ph. Dario Garofalo

Or at the Atrium Bar - Four Seasons Hotel Firenze and it is here, in an Atrium Bar topped by an elegant glass pyramid, that Four Seasons Hotel Firenze has its ace in the hole when it comes to mixologists and Negronis: his name is Edoardo Sandri.

Imagine boarding an elegant boat on the Arno: the view of the river is direct and the view of the Ponte Vecchio is at the forefront. Pablo Picasso welcomes guests and his friend Jean Cocteau stands out on the fireplace at the end of the room. This salon is called Picteau. Among the Signature offerings, how can you not enjoy a Negroni overlooking Florence?

Picteau Bistrot & Bar

An address that is hard to give up, a historic café that retains its exclusive charm. A vital hub in Piazza della Signoria, at Rivoire's you can taste the Negroni in a philological version and in various declinations, without forgetting the classic one.

Mirrors, soft lighting, 1940s details, a record player that tunes some classic. In Piazza San Pancrazio Manifattura is the right place for those in search of lost emotions.

Il Negroni, nella sua versione classica e leggendaria

A short walk from Passera Square, Ditta Artigianale. Like a beauty box looking at '60s and '70s design, café, micro-towery, kitchen, cocktail and gin bar. Don't miss their Negroni made with Peter in Florence, Florence's new gin.