Cocktail trends come and go, and while the Negroni has appealed to a wider audience in recent years, it’s never gone out of style. Featuring Campari, gin, and sweet vermouth, the cocktail is Italian drinking culture captured in a glass. There’s no question that the lavish, herbaceous cocktail is a product of Italy, but apparently it all started at a tiny bar in Florence in 1919, one that you can still stroll into today. It’s all hearsay at this point, but many trace the creation back to Caffè Casoni, a quaint cafe on Via de’ Tornabuoni. Now called Caffè Giacosa, the spot still stands as one of Italy’s oldest bars, and thanks to a regular’s cocktail order, also one of the most famous.
Count Camillo Negroni was craving a nice, refreshing pick-me-up and landed on an Americano spiked with gin (hold the soda water). Not the watered-down espresso Americano, but a popular Italian spritz made with Campari, sweet vermouth, soda water, and a twist of orange. The result was a stiffer, more complex cocktail that grabbed everyone’s attention. The drink was the talk of the town within the blink of an eye, with folks regularly ordering “Count Negroni’s drink” before shortening the moniker. Over the following years, the cocktail spread all over Italy and, eventually, to bar menus across the world. These days, most people are familiar with the Negroni, and the newly reopened Giacosa allows guests to sip on the cocktail in its original setting.
The new Caffè Giacosa still has all the charm of the early 1900s
Today, visitors to Caffè Giacosa can still order the drink that started it all. Sitting at the same marble-topped tables where the Count put his feet up, modern drinkers can experience the classic Negroni just as their ancestors did. The cafe changed hands several times over the years before getting a stylish makeover when fashion designer Roberto Cavalli bought it in 2001 as a cafe-boutique hybrid. Caffè Giacosa stayed open until Cavalli called it quits in 2017, but as of 2023, the iconic cafe is back in business.
Now managed by the Valenza Group, Caffè Giacosa has been brought back to its old school grandeur with meticulous care and attention to detail. As owner Marco Valenza says in regards to taking care of a historical establishment, it “requires great sensitivity because it’s not just about preservation but also about renewing while respecting its history and authenticity.” The simplicity of a Negroni leaves room for dozens of variations, which Giacosa’s cocktail menu explores, but not without highlighting the classic recipe behind it all.
