After enjoying a Negroni as a weekend evening aperitivo I happened to notice a New York Times article discussing the cocktail – which is ever more popular and is celebrating its 100th birthday this year.  When I looked into the history behind the cocktail and its name I found the story goes that it was born in Florence sometime between 1917 and 1920 with the year 1919 being the most commonly referenced.  It was named after a local aristocrat, Count Camillo Negroni, who was known as an elegant bon viveur.  One day the count asked the barman of the Caffe Casoni if he could modify (or fortify) an americano, a popular drink then, by substituting gin for soda.  Soon the drink “in the style of the Conte Negroni” became the new rage.  The recipe for the classic Negroni is straightforward:  equal parts of bitter (typically Campari), sweet vermouth and gin. The drink must be stirred in a cocktail shaker and then poured into an ice-filled glass.  Usually an orange rind twist is added.  The alternative Negroni Sbagliato (or incorrect) came about when a barman used a brut spumante instead of gin while mixing the drink.  Nowadays there are myriad, often delicious, variations on the Negroni but the original version is hard to beat.