The Negroni: A Love Affair with a Classic Коктейль

A century ago the cocktail achieved perfection when, according to legend, Count Camillo Negroni asked his bartender in Florence to stiffen an Americano by replacing the soda water with gin. The world never looked back. With its cosmically simple 1:1:1 ratio, its balance of bitter and sweet, its pleasant kick, its aura of sophistication, the Negroni has bewitched cocktail lovers ever since. Perhaps none more so than Matt Hranek, who intones this love song to his favorite drink and offers a curated collection of recipes, both the classic and dozens of variations, deviations, and delicious reinterpretations.

In 2019, the Negroni turned 100 years old, and it's more popular than ever. The drink's classic proportions are equal parts Campari, gin, and sweet vermouth, making it an easy cocktail to order and to make on your own. The Negroni will give readers insight into the drink's origins in Italy (it started as a twist on the Americano), and the tools to make over 20 simple variations from drink experts and bartenders around the world. Here's the Negroni Frappé from the famed bar Dante in New York City; the Negroni Spagliato from Bar Basso in Milan, where the gin is replaced with prosecco; and the author's own version, which goes heavier on the gin and lighter on the vermouth. Included will be details on garnish, bitters, tools, glassware; a section on the importance of the vermouth used; interviews with bartenders from around the world; where to get the best Negroni; and so much more. Beautiful original photography of the drinks along with archival imagery of famous Negroni lovers--like Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles--and vintage liquor ads make this gorgeous book an irresistible gift for anyone who loves to enjoy a Negroni.

About the Author:

Matt Hranek is the author of The Martini, A Man & His Watch, and A Man & His Car, as well as a photographer, a director, and the founder/editor of the men's lifestyle magazine WM Brown. He and his family divide their time between Brooklyn and the Wm Brown farm in upstate New York, though he can also be spotted quite often in old-school bars around Europe, Negroni in hand.