Mezcal Negroni

History & Origin

The Mezcal Negroni is one of the great achievements of contemporary Mexican mixology: the perfect fusion between two traditions that, at first glance, seem as different as Italy and Oaxaca, but which share a deep culture of complex flavours and distilled craftsmanship. The original Negroni was born in Florence in 1919, when Count Camillo Negroni asked for his Americano to be made with gin instead of sparkling water. From then on, this equal trinity — gin, Campari and red vermouth — became one of the most revered cocktails in the world, a symbol of the Italian aperitivo at six in the evening. The arrival of mezcal in bars around the world changed the rules of the game. Unlike tequila, mezcal can be produced from more than thirty varieties of agave, and its process of cooking underground in stone pits gives it that smoky, earthy and deeply complex character that sets it apart from any other spirit. When bartenders in Mexico City and Oaxaca began experimenting with mezcal in classic cocktails, the Negroni was one of the first to be transformed. The result is revelatory: the bitterness of Campari finds in mezcal a companion that adds layers of smoky, floral and mineral notes that gin could never provide. The red vermouth, with its herbal and spiced sweetness, acts as a bridge between both worlds. The whole is darker, deeper, more Mexican. In Mexico, the Mezcal Negroni has become the favourite cocktail of a new generation of diners seeking authentic experiences without sacrificing sophistication. It is served in the best bars of Roma, Condesa and Oaxaca, and its popularity continues to grow worldwide as a liquid ambassador of the artisan mezcal renaissance.