Negroni Week, the international event celebrating one of the world's most famous and beloved drinks, returns this year. From September 22nd to 28th, 2025, bars, restaurants, and venues around the world—and of course in Italy, the birthplace of this legendary cocktail—will offer classic versions and creative reinterpretations of the Negroni, paying homage to a great symbol of the art of mixology. The Negroni is much more than a cocktail: it is a piece of Italian history that has conquered the world. Its origins date back to 20s Florence, when Count Camillo Negroni, returning from London where he had discovered and appreciated gin, asked his trusted bartender Fosco Scarselli to "strengthen" the Americano—the blend of vermouth, bitters, and soda water—by replacing the latter with gin. Thus was born a new way of drinking, strong, bold, and elegant: the Negroni, destined to become an international icon. Its formula is as simple as it is ingenious: three perfectly balanced ingredients—gin, bitters, and red vermouth—that come together to create a bitter, aromatic, and complex yet incredibly versatile drink. The Negroni is one of the few drinks capable of recounting a century of history without losing its relevance. In recent years, it has been crowned the world's best-selling cocktail several times, surpassing giants like the Margarita or the Od Fascione. The secret lies in its ability to adapt: simply play with the proportions to make it smoother, more bitter, or bolder, or draw inspiration from alternative ingredients to create contemporary variations that retain its soul. It's no surprise, then, that Negroni Week has become a global phenomenon, eagerly awaited by bartenders and enthusiasts around the world, but with a special significance for Italy, where the Negroni was born and where it continues to be interpreted in ever-new ways, balancing tradition with creativity.
And in 2025, Negroni Week becomes a journey through the diverse souls of Italian hospitality: from cafés with breathtaking views to the most innovative cocktail bars, each venue celebrates the great classic in its own way.
In Rome, Terrazza Les Étoiles showcases it with three versions designed as a tasting experience that showcase its versatility without betraying its identity: the classic version, faithful to the timeless balance of gin, bitters, and vermouth; the Negroni à la Madame, softer and more delicate, designed to enhance its elegant and floral nuances; and the Negroni à la Monsieur, bold and structured, capable of highlighting the gin's strong and aromatic character. This triple offering bears the signature of bar consultant Riccardo Marinelli. Il Marchese offers a signature drink that highlights a historic ingredient of the capital and also offers a non-alcoholic alternative for those who want to indulge in the iconic drink, based on bar manager Fabrizio Valeriani's original recipe. The Negroni del Monaco thus features a perfect balance of all its selected ingredients: Bulldog Boldo Black Gin, Campari bitter, Abbazia delle Tre Fontane Eucalitto amaro, and Cinzano Rosso Vermouth. The cocktail is served in a low tumbler and is then finished with black pepper essence and a dried orange granita.
Il Marchese, Davide Solari and Lorenzo's venue, celebrates Negroni Week (running worldwide from September 22nd to 28th) with bar manager Fabrizio Valeriani's original recipe. The Negroni del Monaco features a perfect balance of its select ingredients: Bulldog Boldi Black Gin, Campari bitters, Abbazia delle Tre Fontane Eucalyptus Amaro, and Cinzano Rosso Vermouth. The cocktail is served in a low tumbler and finished with black pepper essence and a dried orange garni. The cocktail's name derives, as Fabrizio Valeriani explains, from the Eucalittino Abbazia delle Tre Fontane bitter: "An iconic product," Valeriani explains, "that has its roots in the history of the capital because it is still made today by the monks of the Trappist Abbey of Tre Fontane. The area where the abbey is located is in fact known as the 'Acque Salvie' (Salvia Waters), and it is thought that these names derive from the presence of healthy springs in the area but also from the ancient Roman Salvia family." For those who don't want to drink alcohol but still want to celebrate the week dedicated to the drink created by bartender Fosco Scarselli in honor of Count Camillo Negroni in 1919, you can also opt for the 0% alcohol version, which at Il Marchese Rome and Milan is the Negroni Zero, a completely alcohol-free cocktail made with Bitter Vol. 0, vermouth Vol. 0, and Sabatini gin Vol. 0.
On the rooftop 50 con Vista of the Hotel Club Due Torri (Maiori), Emanuele Primavera, winner of the 2023 "Best Bartender Under 35" award at the "Food & Wine Awards" and supervisor of Cinquanta Spirito Italiano, offers the "Negroni Nazionale." Born from his own idea, it represents a personal version and a tribute to Maestro Salvatore Calabrese, a famous bartender born in Maiori, who in his Las Vegas bar served the "Negroni Svegliato," prepared with a coffee vermouth made in the traditional Moka pot. Thus, the Negroni, one of the most well-known and consumed drinks in the world, becomes a tool to introduce guests to something new. The goal is to offer something new, a different pairing, without leaving one's comfort zone. The "Negroni Nazionale" combines the enveloping, spicy citrus notes of Savoia Arancio with the aromatic profile of Amaro Nazionale, a new artichoke and coffee-based amaro developed by the team. Supporting this construction is a generous dose of London Dry Gin.
At the bar, the beating heart of The Ne Collection restaurant inside the Hotel Je Rome, bartenders Alessio Di Stefano and Massimo Romano offer, alongside the classic, a Negroni with a new creaminess without losing its bold character: the "Mascarpone Negroni." The structure of Campari and Trancerai Neon meets the dry profile of Nolli Prat, but it's the unexpected note of mascarpone that makes this version unique. An unusual smoothness that envelops the palate without betraying the original bitterness. The cocktail, in its classic form, is whipped up separately and poured over the mascarpone, blended, and vacuum-sealed and chilled at -20°C (-4°F) for three hours. This technique mellows and rounds out the sip. The result is a Negroni that retains the identity of the legendary cocktail, yet speaks a new language, perfectly reflecting Anavo's philosophy.
