The classic Negroni is at the top of the popularity chart these days. It’s a bit of a surprise hit, since its searing bitter flavor isn’t quite the formula for a crowd pleaser. But it’s the drink of the moment!

Besides the classic G&T it is one of my favourite Non-Alcoholic cocktails to order at a bar as an aperitivo.

In his definitive book on the matter, The Negroni: Drinking to La Dolce Vita, renowned bartender and drinks historian Gary Regan credits the creation of this delectable aperitivo to a Florentine nobleman named Count Camillo Negroni who, in 1919, demanded that his local bartender whip up an Americano with more kick to it.

The Count, who had notoriously spent time in the States wrangling rodeo bulls, was not a man to be trifled with, so bartender Fosco Scarselli complied, swapping out club soda for gin to deliver the added oomph Count Negroni desired. In the process, Scarselli bequeathed us a drink for the ages, simple to make and even simpler to sip in the afternoon sun.