~Orson Welles

So the story goes that around 1919 in Florence, Count Camillo Negroni ordered an Americano cocktail but was feeling a little adventurous.  He requested it with a touch of gin instead of soda, inspired by his travels to London and their love of all things gin.  The bartender poured the drink and added a slice of orange instead of lemon and Count Camillo Negroni’s drink was created.  At his local cocktail spot the drink became known as Count Negroni’s Americano, or the “Americano with a touch of gin” and over the years the name reduced down simply to the Negroni.  

There is no doubt that the most demanding flavour in this drink is the Campari.  Campari is an Italian bitter spirit that is bright red in colour and is very botanical on the nose but try drinking it on its own and you might just get a shock, its super bitter!  Way too bitter for me!  So I wanted to create a drink that made the bitter a subtle layer rather than a kick in the face.