Italy is not a cocktail country

Italians, as a rule, are not drinkers—at least, not as the Anglo-Saxon understands the term. It's not that
​Italians avoid the stuff; they just don't consider it sufficient recreation unto itself. Alcohol goes with things.
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As a result, Italy is not a cocktail country. The national liquor—grappa—is, an acquired taste. Gummy, sweet liqueurs abound, and nobody knows how to make a dry martini. Luckily, there's Campari.

Campari has associations. Summer-weight suits with narrow lapels, Ray-Ban Wayfarers, Vespas, brown-eyed blondes in Capri pants. La dolce vita. A violently red, bittered-up 48-proof vermouth doesn't sound like much to build a cocktail culture on, but somehow it works. In fact, the Negroni is one of the world's indispensable cocktails.

Negroni
Everyone has a Negroni recipe they consider the "best." Try this one on for size.
Ingredients;

SERVINGS: MAKES 1

• 2 tablespoons gin
• 2 tablespoons Campari
• 2 tablespoons sweet vermouth
• 1 orange twist
• Prosecco (optional)

 
Preparation

• Combine gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth in an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass; stir gently and garnish with an orange twist. More-formal types prefer it straight up in a Martini glass. Try topping it with Prosecco for something a bit more celebratory.

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