Wine

Negroni Sbagliato

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Cocktail History

The Negroni Sbagliato is a modern cocktail that was created in 1972 by Mirko Stocchetto at Bar Basso in Milan, Italy. It’s a simple variation of the classic Negroni that is said to have been first made when Stocchetto accidentally grabbed a bottle of sparkling wine instead of gin and poured it over top of the Campari and sweet vermouth.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Sparkling Wine: This is a carbonated wine made with white or red grapes. This recipe specifically calls for Prosecco, a sparkling white wine made in Italy, so we used Mionetto Prosecco DOC Treviso Brut because it has a crisp and refreshing flavor with notes of peach, apple, and honey. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Gruvi Non-Alcoholic Prosecco in place of the sparkling wine.

Campari: This is a liqueur made in Italy with gentian root, rhubarb, citrus, herbs, aromatic plants, fruit, and alcohol. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Giffard Non-Alcoholic Bitter Syrup in place of the bitter liqueur.

Sweet Vermouth: This is a fortified wine made with grapes, sugar, botanicals, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. We used Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth because it’s a high quality vermouth with dark notes of herbs, figs, licorice, cinnamon, and cocoa. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Rosso in place of the sweet vermouth.

Orange Twist: This is an orange peel that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. We used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.

Tasting Notes

The Negroni Sbagliato starts with the bittersweet orange aroma of the typical Negroni paired with a hint of effervescent wine, and it has a bracingly cold sip that combines vermouth’s dark sweetness and the herbal, bitter bite of the liqueur with an airy grape note that all goes down with a lingering bitterness and a bubbly tingle in the throat.

Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Kendall found a winner! Since sparkling wine is already one of her favorite beverages, she found that it made the classic recipe all the better, and though Alex does still prefers the original, he agreed that the Negroni Sbagliato definitely deserves a place in your Negroni Week lineup.

Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“As someone who loves the Negroni, I do have to say that while I really enjoy this, I didn’t like it as much as its predecessor. Similar to its cousin the Aperol Spritz, it finds a good balance between lightness and herbal bitterness, and here I find that the bite of the Campari shines through a bit more than it does in the Negroni. While I like the bitterness, it is a bit bracing in this recipe; losing that herbal accompaniment of gin makes a pretty big difference to the overall flavor. That said, if I’m looking for a larger format, light, and effervescent drink in place of my Negroni (and if I’m not feeling like the sweetness of an Aperol Spritz), I would absolutely turn to this.”

Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“Of the Negroni variations, this one takes top prize for ones I’ve liked most so far. Sparkling wine is up there on my list of favorite ingredients for cocktails in general, and when paired with the bitter flavors of a Negroni, it does a good job of making the drink fairly palatable. This was still pretty bitter even with the added sweetness of the wine, so I’m not likely to request it often, but I appreciated what the recipe has to offer. If you are less experienced with trying cocktails and drink these often enough over the course of a year, you’ll probably find yourself able to sip on an Americano or the Negroni itself eventually.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.

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