Bitter and aperitivo · Amaro · IBA official
Bright red, lightly fizzy and pleasantly bitter, the Americano is what you drink in Milan at six o'clock, with olives and crisps on the table. It has half the alcohol of a Negroni and all of its style.
1 oz
CampariBuy on Amazon →
1 oz
sweet vermouthe.g. Martini · Cinzano · Carpano · Cocchi · Punt e Mes
splash of
soda water well chilled
Garnish: Half an orange slice and a lemon twist · Ice: Ice cubes
Americano
Bittersweet orange peel and herbs from the Campari, spiced red fruit from the vermouth and a light, refreshing sparkle. Low in alcohol and very dry at the finish.
The Americano descends from the Milano-Torino, a mix of Campari from Milan and sweet vermouth from Turin that was served at Gaspare Campari's bar in Milan in the 1860s. At some point soda water was added and the drink became known as the Americano. One popular explanation says the name reflects its popularity with American visitors; another links it to the Italian word "amaro", meaning bitter. Neither is proven.
According to the best known Negroni story, it was an Americano that Count Camillo Negroni asked to have strengthened with gin in Florence around 1919. The Americano also appears as James Bond's drink of choice in Ian Fleming's novels. The IBA lists it among its "Unforgettables".
The Negroni uses gin where the Americano uses soda water, so the Americano is lighter and lower in alcohol.
Popular stories point to American tourists in Italy or to the word "amaro" (bitter). The true origin of the name is not documented.
The IBA serves it in an old fashioned glass over ice. Many Italian bars use a taller glass with more soda.
The perfect sound
An easy aperitivo on a Milanese piazza as the evening begins.
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