Classic cocktail culture: NEGRONI SBAGLIATO.

An icon of Italian aperitivo, the Negroni Sbagliato has earned its place on the list of cult cocktails, now enjoyed in all corners of the globe. Dating back to the early 1970s when it was created as a result of a happy accident in Milan's famous Bar Basso, it's a drink steeped in tradition and authenticity.

A drink that embodies the very notion of la dolce vita, from eating well to drinking well and, of course dressing well, all in the company of good friends.

The Negroni Sbagliato is sophisticated, but straightforward-made from equal measures of Campari, red vermouth and sparkling wine, garnished with a single orange slice-echoing the very sense of laid-back elegance and refined effortlessness we all strive to achieve.
Synonymous with simplicity, yet crafted with the utmost care. In fact, the Milanese drinking spot proclaims itself as an "unpretentious watering hole", a bar for everyone, for casual conversations, where heritage and charm triumph over trends.

"The word "sbagliato" is a word that conjures up a whole world of potential theories.
It could be the hand of fate, it could be chance,
it could be force of nature."

Bar Basso was founded in the 1930s by Mr. Basso, Giuseppe Basso, who named it Bar Basso after his surname. It was located in a prime location near Porta Vigentina, between Viale d'Este and Porta Vigentina, before reopening where it is today in 1947. By 1967, Mr. Basso was in his eighties: he was quite old, and his son didn't want to continue the business. Maurizio Stocchetto's father, born in Venice in 1931, took over. In 1946, he moved to Cortina d'Ampezzo, where he worked in a large hotel.

Twenty years later, he decided to return to Venice and open his own business. However, he learned through word of mouth that there was a bar in Milan that Mr. Basso wanted to sell. He contacted him and convinced Mr. Basso to sell him the business. And so, in 1967, he moved from Cortina to Milan, armed with all the experience he'd gained working in prestigious hotels.

The idea of giving a regular street corner bar the feel of a luxury hotel was very appealing, especially during the economic boom. People were truly optimistic, truly curious, and the bar was an immediate success. And it goes without saying that Mr. Basso had obviously done a great job, so the bar was already very well known.

Maurizio's father renamed the bar because it was already renowned and had a musical ring to it; it would have been foolish to change it. Anyway, Maurizio started working here in the mid-1980s and is still here. It's very funny, because from a tradition perspective, it's really interesting. Bar Basso has the same original decor, the same authentic image, the same organization.
The world has changed in many ways since the 1960s, but not here.

But let's get back to our friend, the Negroni Sbagliato. It was born between 1972 and 1973, and there are many stories and legends surrounding its creation.

The most widely accepted version, told by Maurizio himself, is that his father was preparing a Negroni for a customer one evening when one of the bartenders rearranged the bottles lined up on the bar. He poured them without looking, following his instincts, as if the bottles were piano keys. But they weren't in their usual places, so instead of gin, he added sparkling wine, and the Negroni Sbagliato was born. In reality, however, we believe it was also the result of a social shift, as until '67, bars were frequented almost exclusively by men: a woman would never willingly enter a bar alone, just as she would never be seen smoking in the street.

However, after '68, with the women's liberation movement and when fashion began to take hold in Milan, women began writing for newspapers and working in fashion houses. A whole new generation of women emerged who were now financially independent and who began going out in groups, alone. And so Mr. Stocchetti suddenly found himself with a completely new clientele. He needed something to offer these women that was different from the strong, alcoholic cocktails he usually served to men.

So he invented a series of cocktails based on sparkling wine, rather than gin or vodka. And one of these was the "Sbagliato."

Of course, we don't understand why not call it a Bar Basso cocktail? And here too, Maurizio comes to our aid by reminding us that the Sbagliato is based on the same ingredients as the Negroni: Campari and red vermouth. But instead of gin, sparkling wine is added. He then reminds us that his father loved a good Negroni. So, when he invented the Sbagliato, he thought to himself, "Hmm, I have to capture the fun." In essence, he didn't take it all that seriously and gave it the name "sbagliato," meaning "mistake" or "error" in English. And the word "passatelo" or "sbagliato" is a word that evokes a whole world of possible theories: the hand of fate, chance, the force of nature..."

Even the name Negroni Sbagliato is very recognizable: you can't help but think of a Negroni! It also has a slightly ambiguous, slightly disturbing connotation, and then... Something wrong always attracts attention somehow. We believe the reason it's been so successful is precisely its apt name. Besides being a great cocktail, of course.
Let's get to the technical side: the damned measures. It's three equal thirds Campari, red vermouth, and sparkling wine.
Pour it all into the same glass, over ice, and garnish with an orange slice.
It's an ideological fallacy that the Negroni Sbagliato was more successful than the Negroni. That's not true. We can't say for sure. Both cocktails have a specific audience.

When out and about and at in-store events, we obviously recommend pairing it with Campari or our friend Alessandro's Bitter Sabatti.

The key is to make a mistake.