History of the Negroni Sbagliato & why it’s so popular today
To Italianos, sbagliato means ‘a mistake’ or something that’s broken, but if this cocktail is a mistake, we don’t want to be right!
The story goes that Milanese Bar Basso owner Mirko Stocchetto poured the sparkly mistake for the first time in the 1970s, when he was meant to be pouring a classic Negroni, but reached for a bottle of Prosecco instead of gin by accident.
Happily, the outcome was so good that he poured it countless times after that! It’s no wonder the drink recently enjoyed a renewed moment in the limelight when House of the Dragon actress Emma D’Arcy named it their favourite drink on TikTok.
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Other amazing Negroni variations to try
Now that you know how to whip up the House of the Dragon cocktail everyone has been talking about, here are a few other versions of this wildly popular drink you could try at home:
Classic Negroni
The classic Negroni features Campari, Bulldog Gin, and Cinzano Vermouth Rosso as ingredients, served on ice and garnished with a lemon peel. It’s a very grown-up drink with well-balanced bitter notes underpinned by hints of herb and dark fruit flavours, all tied together by the iconic juniper tang of good gin.
Christmas Negroni
The Christmas Negroni takes a little more prep work since you need to make your own festive-infused gin using cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, peppercorns, and bay leaves, which has to stand for at least three days before being strained. However, if you are able to take the time, the winter holiday spices will imbue your drink with something quite gorgeous.
When to serve a Negroni Sbagliato cocktail
We like to think that Champagne cocktails are suitable for just about every occasion, but there are some events that really call for that something extra festive and sparkly. This is why we like to serve a Negroni Sbagliato at:
Weddings
We all love a Kir Royale, but if you really want to lean into the trend of the moment, serving a Negroni Sbagliato will give your canape hour that little something extra.
New Year
Drinking a toast to the new year is a rite of passage that we all get to enjoy every year. Why not round off this trip around the sun by pouring your guests a meme-worthy drink that is sure to inspire all the hashtags when they post their pics?
After-work drinks
Sure, you can crack open a beer or pour a glass of vino for you and your mates after a long day at the salt mines, or you could follow this super simple Negroni Sbagliato recipe and make a sparkly event of a commonplace occurrence. Live a little!
