Campari Sets New Rules for a Timeless Classic: The Negroni
No Not in Milan is complete without at least one Sbagliato. Bar Basso's iconic beverage is playful, unexpected, and now TikTok-famous. We've drunk it, cheered to it, and even learned how to make it from the masters, so this year, we’re going deeper than the remix. We’re going back to the original.
Enter the Negroni. The one that started it all.
Born in Florence but now fully adopted by Milan, the Negroni has transformed itself into more than just an aperitivo; it’s an iconic cultural touchstone. A symbol of timeless sophistication, Italian creativity, and that unmistakable Milanese glamour. It’s bold, balanced, and unapologetic, just like the city it now calls home. And at its heart is yet another icon—Campari.
Campari is without question the very soul of the Negroni. It defines the drink’s identity and gives it its distinctive bitter pallet. When paired with sweet vermouth and gin, the result is perfection in three parts. But swap that third ingredient, and the possibilities become endless. Reinvention begins—not by replacing the Negroni, but by reimagining it.
This year, as part of Not in Milan: Classics Reinvented, we celebrate the Negroni not just for what it is, but for what it allows us to create. It becomes a springboard for expression. Bourbon steps in for gin, and suddenly the Negroni becomes the Boulevardier—rich, smoky, and full of jazz-club swagger. Spice things up with chili-infused gin or vermouth, and you’ve got a version with heat and bite that turns heads at aperitivo hour.
Swap in Mezcal or tequila—perhaps with a touch of dry vermouth—and the Negroni Mezcal and Rosita emerge, bold and sunlit with agave at their core. And for something distinctly Milanese, there’s the coffee twist: replace the gin with cold brew or coffee liqueur and you’ve got a bittersweet, caffeine-kissed variation that feels tailor-made for nights that stretch into the early hours.
The Negroni invites reinvention. It’s not about altering a classic for the sake of novelty, but evolving it to reflect creativity, personality, and place. A true icon adapts, inspires, and always stays one step ahead.
Here’s to the Negroni. And here’s to what comes next—always with Campari in it.
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