The story goes that 100 years ago in Florence, the very influential Count Camillo Negroni decided he wanted to add a bit of oomph to his Americano cocktail (made from Campari, vermouth and soda). I guess he’d had a rough day, as he asked his bartender to swap out the soda and replace it with gin. And so, the Negroni was born.
To mark the centenary of a drink that’s only grown in favour in more recent years, Campari is hosting a big Negroni bash in central London. N100: Cheers to the Count is set to be a party like no other, since there will be 100 different twists on the classic recipe (gin, Campari, vermouth) to choose from. Tweaks to the classic cocktail will include the Silk and Stone Negroni (with cacao and olive oil) and the Negroni Segreto (with rosewater and raspberries).
Tickets to the party, being held at the Vinyl Factory in Soho, will cost just £15 and will entitle guests to two of the 100 drinks on offer (it’s the grown-up version of being a kid in a sweet shop). And if two just isn’t enough (fair play), additional Negronis can be purchased on the night costing £6 a pop.
The night is also set to be filled with immersive experiences, from a bar made from ice serving Negroni flights to the opportunity to create your own twist on the cocktail. There’s also talk of the Count himself making an appearance – which sounds fairly gruesome, actually (the fella died in 1934…). But, hey, who cares when you’ve got 100 Negronis ahead of you?
N100: Cheers to the Count is on Thursday June 20 at The Vinyl Factory, 18 Marshall St, W1F 7BE. Tickets can be booked here.
Discover our choice of the best negronis in London (not quite 100, though).
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