Americano

The Negroni is enjoying a moment now. For bartenders and barflies, this deliciously complex mix of Campari, gin and sweet vermouth has become an easy way to fly one’s flag as a knowing cocktail classicist. But the drink’s rising profile has cast a shadow over its once-popular progenitor, the Americano. Without this refreshing Italian-born highball — Campari, sweet vermouth and club soda — there would have been no blueprint for the gin-loving Count Camillo Negroni to experiment with a century ago. (The drink’s family line actually goes back even farther; the Americano grew out of a simpler aperitif that omitted the soda, called the Milano-Torino — Milano in honor of the birthplace of Campari, Torino for the vermouth.)

While the Americano doesn’t have quite the romance that’s grown around the Negroni, it also doesn’t have nearly as much alcohol. It’s a lighter and saner choice for summertime drinking. A pitcher of Americanos enjoyed on the back patio during a hot afternoon will not leave you down for the, uh, count.