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Negroni Sbagliato

4.3

(17)

Negroni Sbagliato on a pink background
Photograph by Travis Rainey, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro, Food Styling by Micah Morton

In Italian, sbagliato means “mistake,” so a Negroni sbagliato (or, simply, a sbagliato, as the drink is classically known) is a riff on the Negroni cocktail that came about “by accident.” A classic Negroni traditionally comprises equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and bittersweet Campari; supposedly, a bartender invented this effervescent version in Milan in 1972 at Bar Basso when he mistakenly grabbed a bottle of sparkling wine instead of gin. If you’ve dined out or visited a cocktail bar in the US since October 2022, you’ve likely seen—or sipped—your share of the aperitif spritz.

We can thank a viral TikTok from HBO for that. “In that video, Emma D’Arcy, star of House of the Dragon, told their costar Olivia Cooke that their drink of choice was a ‘Negroni…sbagliato…with prosecco in it.’ The pauses were pregnant; the eye contact was intense; and the internet lost its damn mind,” writes BA restaurant editor Elazar Sontag.

A bottle of prosecco is the expected choice for this Italian cocktail, but cava or any inexpensive dry sparkling wine will do (save the Champagne for a more delicate French 75). Of course, you could also continue the tradition and trade it out for something else altogether: The team at Torrisi in New York uses fruity Lambrusco for the bubbles, garnishing the drink with a juicy orange slice. A finishing splash of soda water keeps the cocktail refreshing and not too sweet.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    2 minutes

  • Yield

    Makes 1

Ingredients

4

oz. Prosecco or other dry sparkling white wine

1

oz. sweet vermouth

½

oz. Campari

Club soda

Lime wheel (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Pour 4 oz. Prosecco into a large wine or rocks glass filled with ice cubes. Add 1 oz. sweet vermouth, ½ oz. Campari, and top off with club soda. Stir gently to combine; garnish with lime wheel.

    Editor’s note: This Negroni sbagliato recipe was first printed in our August 2015 issue as “Sbagliato.” Head this way for more of our favorite summer cocktail recipes

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  • No gin, no grin. This is a nope for me.

    • Hal Hackett

    • Newport OR

    • 5/9/2024

  • Not my drink. Will stick to Negroni.

    • Emily

    • Bentonville, AR

    • 1/2/2024

  • My Negroni Sbagliato brings all the ladies to my yard ;)

    • Saberage queen

    • EGR,MI

    • 10/17/2022

  • What’s your drink of choice? A Negroni… Sbagliato… with processo in it. 10/10 perfect drink with all the right quantities for the perfect blend.

    • Rose

    • North Carolina

    • 10/15/2022