Americano Cocktail

The Americano is where Italian aperitivo culture begins. Not the Negroni, which came sixty years later and gets all the attention. The Americano. Two ingredients from two cities that defined modern Italy, brought together in a glass with nothing more than ice and a splash of soda.

Campari comes from Milan. Sweet vermouth comes from Turin. When Italy unified in the 1860s, so did these two bitter-sweet spirits in the cafés of the north. The drink was first called Milano-Torino, a name so obvious it required no explanation. The 'Americano' came later, when American tourists discovered it and the bartenders, with typical Italian pragmatism, named it for their best customers.

This is an aperitivo, which means it has a purpose beyond refreshment. The bitter compounds open the appetite, preparing the stomach for the meal ahead. You drink it before dinner, never during, never after. Italians understand that drinking has rituals, and rituals exist because they work.