Negroni!

One of the most Italian cocktails that I could think of is the Negroni. A negroni is an adaptation of of the Americano cocktail. It is widely believed to have been invented in Florence, Italy in the early 1900s when Count Negroni asked the bartender to make his other favorite cocktail, the americano, stronger. The bartender did this by substituting in gin instead of soda water. 

Ok, enough history. Now on to how to make the drink. The recipe is below.

1 part Campari

1 part Gin

1 part Sweet Vermouth (red)

Ice

Orange Peel (or wedge)

Basically you stir in all of the ingredients into an old fashioned glass and garnish with the orange peel. You can also mix in a shaker if you want to do that. 

In case you are unfamiliar with the ingredients, this isn't one of those fruity, super easy-drinking cocktails. Campari is a very bitter aperitif. This gets balanced a bit by the sweet vermouth and the gin provides the backbone to the drink. Seriously, if you don't like things bitter, don't go out and get one. Try a friend's first. 

The negroni, while very bitter was oddly refreshing and paired really well with some lightly brined olives.  Give it a go if you like bitter drinks. If you are making it yourself, make sure you don't overdo the Campari.

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