Negroni Fans Will Love Our Americano Cocktail Recipe

Classic Americano cocktails in rocks glasses with orange garnish on cutting board

Some of the most iconic cocktails are those with just three ingredients, such as the dirty martini, Manhattan, or a classic Negroni. These cocktails are simple in structure, yet have complex flavors that work in perfect harmony on the palate. If you love the rich citrus and botanical-forward flavors of a Negroni, then you need to try mixing up its precursor, the Americano. This classic Americano cocktail recipe, courtesy of recipe developer Julie Kinnaird, is effervescent and refreshing, with all of the wonderful bitter citrus and herbal notes of the heavier Negroni. The Americano is a perfect aperitif to serve on a hot afternoon or before dinner, paired with antipasto fare like salty cured meats, aged cheeses, and briny olives.

"The way to create the perfect Americano is by using high quality ingredients," Kinnaird advises. This recipe uses just Campari, sweet vermouth, and club soda. Both Campari and vermouth will stay fresh for several months after opening, so if you purchase bottles for this recipe, you'll certainly be able to make good future use of them, too. Club soda might seem pretty straightforward, but spending a bit more for a reputable mixer will give you a better mineral-forward flavor in your drink, not to mention those ever-important bubbles.

Gather The Classic Americano Cocktail Ingredients

Classic Americano cocktail ingredients on countertop

The classic Americano cocktail has a simple list of ingredients: Campari, sweet vermouth, and club soda. The Campari will provide bitter hints of orange and herbs, while the sweet vermouth will tone things down a bit while still providing an herbal component. The classic garnish for an Americano cocktail is a wedge of fresh orange to brighten up the citrus flavors in the drink, but a twist made from the peel gives the cocktail nice visual appeal, as well.

Step 1: Cut An Orange Slice For Garnish

Cutting orange slices on rustic cutting board

Cut a slice of orange that is thick enough to squeeze into the drink.

Step 2: Make An Orange Twist

Forming an orange twist garnish from orange peel strips

Alternatively, cut a long strip of orange peel using a thin knife and curl the strip into a twist.

Step 3: Add Ice To A Rocks Glass

Adding ice with tongs to a rocks glass

Step 4: Add The Campari

Pouring Campari over ice in rocks glass

Pour in the Campari.

Step 5: Follow Up With The Vermouth

Adding vermouth to Campari and ice in rocks glass

Add the vermouth.

Step 6: Top Off With The Club Soda

Adding club soda to Campari, vermouth, and ice in rocks glass

Top the drink with the club soda.

Step 7: Add An Orange Garnish And Serve

Adding an orange twist to a classic Americano cocktail

Garnish with either the orange slice for squeezing or the orange twist.

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Classic Americano Cocktail Recipe

Classic Americano cocktail in rocks glass with orange slices and campari bottle

What Is The History Of The Negroni And Americano Cocktails?

Top view of classic Americano cocktail with orange garnishes

The true origins of both the Americano and Negroni cocktails may be a bit wrapped up in Italian folklore, but there are a couple of stories which have stayed consistent over time. First came the Americano, created sometime in the late 1800s by a man named Gaspare Campari. While simply a product of bartender experimentation, the Americano was first called the Milano-Torino, paying homage to the cities known for producing Campari and sweet vermouth (and to the city where the drink became so popular, Milan). American tourists were quite keen on the Milano-Torino, so eventually the name evolved to the apt Americano. The cocktail was easy to drink, easy to make, and was undoubtedly resfreshing.

By contrast, the Negroni seems to have been born out of a desire for a drink that's even boozier than an Americano. The most popular origin story is that the Negroni was created in 1919 in Florence, Italy at the request of Count Camillo Negroni to boost his Americano with gin instead of soda. The result was a boozy cocktail rich in botanicals and robust enough to be served at the beginning or end of a meal. Today, many variations on both cocktails exist, but they live on among the time-honored classics.

Are There Any Flavor Additions Or Substitutions That Can Be Used In This Americano Cocktail Recipe?

Side view of classic Americano cocktails with vermouth bottle

The refreshing, citrusy nature of the Americano cocktail lends itself to delicious edits on ingredients and flavors. Kinnaird suggests using a flavored tonic in place of the club soda, such as rhubarb or ginger. Both of these flavors have a spicy astringency that can play up the herbal bitter edge of the liqueurs. The tonic will add additional sweetness to balance out the sharp flavors. Another interesting way to switch up the classic Americano is to use white vermouth instead of sweet vermouth. White vermouth has a more crisp and light flavor profile compared with the more caramelized notes of sweet vermouth. Using white vermouth will lighten the color and sweetness of the cocktail, and would pair nicely with a wheel of grapefruit for garnish.

Another interesting garnish to entertain is using a sprig of rosemary or thyme with the orange wedge. Rosemary adds rich savory herbal notes to contrast the sweetness of a squeeze of orange, while thyme would add a fresh and earthy taste. Kinnaird says that her favorite way to switch up this cocktail, however, is by using fresh blood orange and a blood orange ginger beer. This may seem like quite a departure from the original, but the ginger beer adds just a bit of extra sweetness along with a punch of ginger and blood orange flavor to complement the liqueurs. Top with a wheel of blood orange for a super elegant Americano twist.

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