Americano: the mother of the Negroni, history and IBA recipe

If the Negroni is the king of bitter cocktails, the Americano is its direct predecessor: lighter, more refreshing, but with the same DNA. It’s the Italian aperitif in its purest form.

From Milan to Turin, in one glass

The Americano was born in Milan in the 1860s, at Gaspare Campari’s bar. It was first called the “Milano-Torino”, a name that is already a recipe: the Campari came from Milan, the sweet red vermouth from Turin. Only later, thanks to its popularity with American visitors, did the drink take the name Americano.

There’s also a nice historical footnote: the soda. According to the most common account, it was the request to make it fresher and fizzier that led to the version we know today.

The official IBA recipe

The International Bartenders Association sets the recipe like this:

• 30 ml Campari
• 30 ml sweet red vermouth
• a splash of soda water

It’s built directly in an old fashioned glass filled with ice, lengthened with soda and stirred gently. Garnish: half an orange slice and a lemon twist.

The father of the Negroni

This is the most fascinating link. In the 1920s, in Florence, Count Camillo Negroni asked to strengthen his Americano by swapping the soda for gin. The result was a completely different drink in structure, but a child of the same blueprint: the Negroni was born.

In other words, understanding the Americano means understanding half the family of the great Italian bitter cocktails.

The Americano at Jimmy

It’s the perfect aperitif for anyone who wants the character of Campari without the intensity of a Negroni: bitter enough, but long and easy-drinking. At our place on Via Petroni, we serve it the way it should be — ice, cold soda and that double orange-and-lemon garnish that completes the aroma.