Negroni Sbagliato: A Negroni with Prosecco

The Negroni Sbagliato was allegedly invented by mistake. Fast forward 50 years and this mistaken 'Negroni with Prosecco' has become a worldwide sensation. Join the hype and craft one at home.

Negroni SbagliatoPhoto by2foodtrippers

The Negroni Sbagliato with Prosecco has been on our radar for a while. We're big fans of the classic Negroni and even bigger fans of the Boulevardier. It only made sense that we'd want to try the bubbly variation of the Campari classic.

However, once the Negroni Sbagliato became an internet sensation, our enthusiasm went down a notch. It seemed like the whole world jumped on the Italian cocktail's bandwagon after House of the Dragon's Emma D'Arcy expressed her love for 'Negronis made with Prosecco' on TikTok. Suddenly, Sbagliatos appeared on just about every sidewalk in Europe from the Duomo in Milan to the docks of Hamburg.

Dare we say that the Negroni Sbagliato has begun to approach the lord of all aperitivos, the Aperol Spritz, in popularity? We do and it did.

Ok. Enough about our apprehensions. We're glad we made this crimson red drink which, to our mild surprise, grew on us with every sip.

We were fans by the time we finished our first broken Negroni. But we wondered how this Negroni with Prosecco become 'broken' in the first place.

History of the Negroni Sbagliato

Although the Negroni Sbagliato gained international fame in 2022, its history started a half-century earlier at Bar Basso in Milan. However, its history is dubious at best.

Legend has it that barman Mirko Stocchetti created the original Negroni Sbagliato by mistake when he accidentally poured sparkling wine into a Negroni instead of pouring gin. However, we've read conflicting reports as to whether Stocchetti's cocktail was a happy accident or an intentional switcheroo.

Either way, both the Negroni Sbagliato's story and name have withstood the test of time. In fact, the bubbly beverage is more popular today than ever.

What Is a Negroni Sbagliato?

The Negroni Sbagliato is a variation of the classic Negroni crafted with sparkling wine, i.e. Prosecco, instead of gin. The drink's two other liquid ingredients are sweet vermouth and Campari. A simple orange twist provides the finishing touch.

Since the three liquids are added in a 1:1:1 ratio, it's hard to mess up the Negroni Sbagliato recipe. This is ironic since the name Negroni Sbagliato literally translates to Mistaken Negroni.

What's not ironic is how the Negroni Sbagliato tastes. This is a sophisticated sipper that gets bitterness from Campari and sweetness from vermouth. As for the Prosecco, it adds a bubbly element that tickles the tongue.

Sure. You could call this a Negroni Spritz or even a Sbagliata Spritz but that's not what Mirko Stocchetti called it and he's the one that broke the drink in the first place.

Ingredients

Make no mistake - the Negroni Sbagliato's ingredient list is short and sweet with just the following five items:

• 1½ ounces Campari
• 1½ ounces sweet red vermouth
• 1½ ounces Prosecco
• 1 ice cube (large)
• 1 orange twist (garnish)

Although the Negroni Sbagliato sips like a dream, its ingredient list includes no fewer than three Italian liquors - Campari, sweet vermouth and Prosecco.

Campari

Campari is a complex liqueur that derives its herbaceous tones from 50+ secret ingredients that include bitter herbs, aromatic plants and fruit. Not only is it a key ingredient in Italian cocktails like this one, but it's also great for making simple summer spritzes.

Sweet Vermouth

While you probably have Campari in your home bar, you're even more likely to have a bottle of sweet red vermouth. Similar to Campari, this Italian liquor has a secret recipe and is highly versatile. We use it to craft a myriad of cocktails.

Prosecco

While any sparkling wine would technically work in the Negroni Sbaliato recipe, we like to use a good quality Italian Prosecco when we craft this Italian cocktail at home. Not only does this splurge result in better cocktails, but it also makes it more fun to drink the leftover bubbles.

How to Craft a Negroni Sbagliato

The first step in this recipe is to measure the Campari and sweet vermouth and pour them directly into a lowball glass. We use a Japanese Jigger for these measurements to avoid spillage and ensure accurate measurements.

Gently stir the two liquors and place a large ice cube into the glass. We use a jumbo ice cube since it melts slowly and looks really cool.

The next step is to top off the drink with Prosecco. You can either measure the Prosecco or simply pour it directly into the glass.

Finally, add an orange twist and start sipping.

Variations

They say 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' but we disagree. Feel free to experiment with the Negroni Sbagliato recipe starting with the following possible variations:

• Add extra Prosecco if you're feeling extra bubbly.
• Create a large batch in a punchbowl with one bottle each of Campari, sweet vermouth and Prosecco.
• Replace the Prosecco with gin to craft a classic Negroni cocktail.
• Replace the Prosecco with bourbon to craft a Boulevardier cocktail.
• Replace the Prosecco with jägermeister to craft a Count Mast Negroni cocktail.
• Replace the Prosecco with rye to craft an Old Pal cocktail.

This recipe was originally published on 2foodtrippers. Consider subscribing to 2foodtrippers if you enjoyed it.