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Negroni Sbagliato- An Italian Christmas Cocktail

by Savoring Italy

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Feeling the holiday pressure? Feel like you are running out of time? Head is spinning with unfinished lists. Are you asking yourself why a Pet Shop toy costs $39.99? I propose you have a cocktail! A tasty Italian cocktail.

Before we get to the story of this drink…in case you missed it, I was a guest poster on  Chef Dennis’ blog on Friday! Here is the link to my Chocolate-Caramel Holiday Cake. It has NUTELLA in it! Thank you Chef Dennis for having my cake and having me as a guest on your FANTASTIC blog! Go on over and say “Hello!” to Chef Dennis. He is one of the nicest bloggers you will meet!

The Negroni Sbagliato is basically a Negroni that calls for prosecco or asti spumante instead of gin. Sbagliato in Italian means “wrong” or “mistaken,” as in, “I goofed on this negroni and grabbed the wrong bottle! And it tastes GOOD!”
You may be shaking your head saying, “What the heck is a Negroni?!?” Hold your horses…I will tell you!
I’m sort of a history buff. I love American history. Eurpean history. Food history. And I just found out I even like cocktail history. Here is what I found on wikepedia about a regular Negroni:
“While the drinks’ origins are obscured by time, the most widely reported version is that it was invented in Florence, Italy in 1919, at Caffè Casoni, now called Caffè Giacosa. Count Camillo Negroni invented it by asking the bartender, Fosco Scarselli, to strengthen his favorite cocktail, the Americano, by adding gin rather than the normal soda water. The bartender also added an orange garnish rather than the typical lemon garnish of the Americano to signify that it was a different drink. After the success of the cocktail, the Negroni Family founded Negroni Distillerie in Treviso, Italy, and produced a ready-made version of the drink, sold as Antico Negroni 1919. One of the earliest reports of the drink came from Orson Welles in correspondence with the Coshocton Tribune while working in Rome on Cagliostro in 1947, where he described a new drink called the Negroni, “The bitters are excellent for your liver, the gin is bad for you. They balance each other.”
I don’t know about you, but this fascinates me! My favorite part is the end quote about how the bitters and gin balance out each otherWinking smile.
Back to the Negroni Sbagliato. It was invented at the legendary Bar Basso in Milan. Milan has a pretty hopping aperitivo scene. You go out after work to a bar. Any bar. And you buy a cocktail and you get to snack. I’m not talking just popcorn and chips. Some of these bars have bruschetta. Amazing olives. Cheese spreads. I could go on and on. It basically is a happy hour where you get a drink and practically a free meal. Not bad?
I found the story about this drink in La Cucina Italiana magazine:
“The house specialty at the legendary Bar Basso in Milan translates as “wrong” or “mistaken” Negroni—a fitting name for a cocktail born from a happy mistake. When making a Negroni, a misplaced bottle of spumante was grabbed by accident. An instant hit, the drink became the bar’s signature.”
I am happy that this drink was created by mistake.
So if you are feeling the stress. Time is getting closer. Sit back and make a Negroni Sbagliato.
IF you don’t have all these ingredients, go ahead…have a beer instead! Or a nice glass of wine. You could even drink flat spumante like I did yesterday. Flat spumante = annoying headache. Dumb me.

Cheers for a peaceful rest of the month of December!
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*I adjusted this recipe a bit. More Campari. A little extra spumante. That was just to our taste.
Ingredients
  • 1 ounce Campari
  • 1 ounce Martini and Rossi sweet vermouth
  • 1 ounce dry spumante
  • Orange slice for garnish
Instructions

Fill a rocks glass with ice. Add Campari, vermouth and spumante, in that order. Gently stir and garnish with orange slice.

Award time! Lizzie from Food and Thrift Finds gave me a Stylish Blog Award. Your blog is definitely STYLISH and full of so many delicious recipes! THANK YOU for thinking of me!

Seven things about me!

1) I speak 4 1/2 languages. I would check out language CD series at the library when I was younger and teach myself new words in as many different languages as possible. A little geeky.
2) I’ve lived in Italy and France. Spent a good amount of time in Ecuador (yes, Ecuador).
3) I’m an Italian soccer fan. I once saw Fiorentina play my dad’s hometown in Sicily. That was a memorable game. My aunt conveniently lives in front of the soccer stadium.
4) Baking is therapeutic to me. If I’m in a bad mood, all I have to do is start mixing some cake batter.
5) I’ve been told I should’ve been a detective. I like to solve mysteries. Like the time these wackos ran over our roof. I figured out before the police man did that the taxi cab slowly cruising by was looking for them. They stiffed the cab driver. He was an unhappy cabbie looking for his fare. We got left with a broken fence and some nasty looking shoe that the one guy lost.
6) Or a truffle sniffing dog. I have an eerily strong sense of smell. It annoys my husband.
7) I dream of living on a farm in Italy one day. With chickens. A cow. Maybe a fluffy sheep. Lots of dogs. A cat or two. And of course my kids! ANDDDD my hubby!lol

 

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Comments

  1. Mardi @eatlivetravelwrite says

    Oh thanks so much Lora for the award! I am flattered 🙂 Also, this cocktail looks amazing – I am very much a fan of "bitter" drinks like this – it's nice to counter all the sweet indulgences around this time of the year. Definitely making this one and soon!

    Reply

  2. Raina says

    What a wonderful drink. It sounds perfect for the holidays. Thanks for the history about it too. I also love to learn the history of foods. Wow! You speak 4 1/2 languages! That is impressive. I can barely speak English…lol and a little Italian:)

    Reply

  4. sara @ CaffeIna says

    First of all, thanks a lot for the award!! You are so sweet
    Second, you are also soo cool. I did not the story of Negroni and I loved hearing a little bit of Italy here!
    Third, that quote…it's fantastic. In true Italian spirit! I need to put as my email signature haha
    Last but not least, I loved learning something new about you…above all the misteries part. I love misteries and I always thought I should have been a detective…so funny we have this in common!

    Reply

  5. Anonymous says

    Lora, my Nutella-sharing friend, thank you so much for thinking of me. I think the world of you, so I truly appreciate it!
    thank you for the history lesson, the drink lesson and a little more info about you:)

    Reply

  11. Evan @swEEts says

    Love the history lesson and of course I am always down for a good cocktail 🙂 Congrats on the award too! ps I think that is awesome you speak so many different languages! Its not geeky at all!

    Reply

  12. A Thought For Food says

    Negronis are one of my favorite drinks… and I love La Cucina Italiana (in fact, I think i saw the same piece)! Such great articles and some terrific recipes.

    Congrats on being so stylish! Couldn't agree more! 🙂

    Reply

  13. SMITH BITES says

    Lora I am really, really honored that you've included me on this list with some truly amazing bloggers – kinda shocked if you want to know the truth. But I love your blog, love the food you tease us with and most of all, I love your spirit – you are a gem! And how fun is the background of this fantastic drink?! Right up my alley – and 4-1/2 languages??? (((hugs)))

    Reply

  14. Sasa says

    What languages? I'm a polyglot too and am always up for squeezing in a little more…Dropped past on Debra's recommendation and pleased I did ^-^

    Reply

  15. foodwanderings says

    Aww Lora I am really touched and honored. Thank you so much my stylish and most fantastic friend! You know I love tradition and a good story which you paired so beautifully in this post and recipe. Not geek at all I used to read the encyclopedia. lol!

    Reply

  16. foodwanderings says

    BTW. really honored to be in such good company yours included. Came to visit again as I am going to visit the other bloggers you mentioned some I already know and follow but some are new to me. Can't wait!!

    Reply

  20. Anonymous says

    Thank you for the award and cocktail recipe. I think the second might be most needed in my life right now 🙂 Adding the ingredients to my grocery list and carving out a night to relax this week with one of these drinks. No exceptions 🙂 Hope your December is relaxing!

    Reply

  21. claire says

    Congrats on your award! I love your blog and could think of more adjectives then stylish for your blog: creative, fun, and fabulous!

    thanks for thinking of me! I appreciate it!

    Reply

  23. agg says

    You are so cute and I am so happy I "met" you on Twitter!! Thank you so much for the sweet award, I really enjoyed reading about you! I too love Italian soccer, grew up on it! My family is from Sicily (I'm first generation born American) so I grew up watching it…my dad has it on the minute he comes home from work, lol.

    I've never had a Negroni! I'm not a huge fan of gin so I think I like the Sbagliato version better! I want to make these for my family on Christmas eve! Or before! 🙂 Cheers!

    Reply

  24. mangiabella says

    thank you Chef D for introducing me to this wonderful blog!! What a delight to become your newest follower 🙂 Congrats on the award, much deserved, and I have officially bookmarked for quick reference!! have a glorious day sweet bella

    Reply

  26. Chef Dennis says

    Hi Lora!
    I love learning these little facts about our online friends! I'll keep it in mind if I ever need a detective! Congratulations on your award, and thank you so much for thinking of me! I am honored.
    Have a wonderful day my friend!
    Dennis

    Reply

  27. Monet says

    Hi Sweet Woman! Sorry it took me so long to get to this…I've been a busy girl with finals and grading. Congratulations on the award (I couldn't agree more) and thank you so much for including me on such a wonderful list of bloggers! I can't believe you know so many languages! Way to go! Thank you for sharing with me love!

    Reply

  28. Jason Phelps says

    I just started making Negroni's at home and will be trying this variation as soon as I can. Thanks for the "things about you". Always great to get to know someone better.

    Jason

    Reply

  29. 1-2Punch says

    Great story, with a happy ending! I made a mistake making biscotti one day and they turned out a wonderful texture and not hard as a brick, which made them a big hit with my kids and it is now my secret recipe!

    Reply