The Italian Cocktail That's Always A Reliable Order, According To Experts

The American cocktail revival has helped spur a new initiative of bar menus loaded with creative riffs on classic ideas. It's made happy hour into a fun gastronomic adventure full of exciting flavors. If you find yourself in front of a bartender instead of a mixologist, however, you might not be feeling so adventurous. In times like these, it's best to have a standard order ready to go that you know will be easy to make, no matter who's behind the bar.

According to Corey Philips of the Atlanta pizza bar Nina & Rafi, one of the most reliable orders you can choose is a negroni. The negroni is a simple cocktail with only three elements kept behind almost every bar, no matter where you go. While the negroni was once an uncommon drink order in the U.S., it has been more recognized in pop culture lately. The drink used to be a sort of secret handshake between bartenders and those in the know but is now almost as common as ordering a gin and tonic.

The perfect negroni is a simple construction made with equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari liqueur decorated with the perfect twist of an orange peel. It makes for a refreshing and bittersweet drink, no matter who makes it. 

The first negroni was a shared creation. While the bartender who first crafted it was named Forsco Scarselli, the inspiration for the drink came from count Camilo Negroni.

The legend is that Count Negroni was a regular at Bar Casoni in Florence, Italy, where Scarselli worked the bar. Negroni had tired of his usual Americano (club soda with Campari and vermouth) and asked Scarselli to "fix it." So, Scarselli reached for a bottle of gin to replace the club soda, and the negroni was born.

Fast forward to more recent history, and the negroni seems to be having a moment. Folks looking for comfort during the pandemic found themselves transfixed by a brief video of Stanley Tucci whipping up the drink. So, they bought the three bottles needed and enjoyed plenty during their socially distanced happy hour. Now, the drink is a household name; even new bartenders can quickly assemble one.

Yes, the negroni's resurgence has made it a common touchstone for drinkers everywhere, but there is also something to the simple elegance of the drink that makes it such a classic choice.

Naren Young of Saxon + Parole Told Bon Appetit, "The negroni is simple yet complex in flavor." It's a drink that is more than the sum of its parts and one that embodies the Italian idea of Sprezzatura. Sprezzatura is a word that doesn't have an exact translation, but it loosely means to do something complicated with a sense of ease or grace. More poetically, it's the art of concealing art. Think of people who look good no matter how they're dressed, the stride of a running athlete, Stanley Tucci shaking that cocktail shaker. Technically, there's nothing incredible happening in these examples, but the result is a thrill to indulge in.

The negroni embodies this completely. Three simple ingredients are mixed in a glass and served with an orange peel. An interesting counterpoint to this idea comes from a laughable scene in the movie "Uncharted" where Tom Holland's character tries as hard as he can to make the negroni seem like a challenging cocktail. He passes a bottle behind his head, pours with flair, and forgets to give the drink a stir before serving it to a patron. Anyone who's ever made a negroni knows that he's doing a lot to accomplish very little — very un-sprezzatura.