Gaia, our chef friend and favorite Florentine guide, is sharing her recipe for making a delicious aperitivo, Negroni, at home.

This is her tried-and-true recipe that we make during our cooking classes and drink when we join Gaia on her dinner tour around Florence during our Heart of Italy food tour.

Follow Gaia’s 4 simple steps to make a refreshing Negroni.

Step 1

Before you get started, make sure you have your ingredients and equipment ready to go.

Ingredients

1 oz Campari
1 oz Red Vermouth
1 oz Gin
1 orange
Ice

Ingredients

Glass
Spoon

Step 2

Fill a glass with ice and stir the ice for a few seconds to chill the glass. Once the glass is cold, strain any water from the ice so that there is no liquid and the glass is full of ice.

Step 3

Pour Campari, Red Vermouth, and Gin directly into the glass over the ice.

Step 4

Stir your drink by moving the spoon up and down so that the three levels of alcohol mix together.

Step 5

Peel a large slice of orange zest, about 2 inches long, and squeeze it over the drink to release the natural oils. Rub the zest around the rim of the glass, give it a twist, and then place the twisted zest into the drink.

If you’re looking for a non-alcoholic aperitivo, Crodino is a great option!

Pro tip: Toast like a true Italian!

Wait until everyone has been served.
Say the word “salute” (literally toasting to the person’s health) or “cin cin” (pronounced chin-chin which resembles the sound glasses make).
Make eye contact with each person as you toast them since this signifies you are toasting their health and being sincere about it. If in a large group, try to look around the best you can at each person as you toast. Enjoy!

Pair your Negroni with one of our upcoming Italian Community Cooking Classes. Whether you’re making Chicken Cacciatore, Gnocchi al Ragu, or Carbonara, you’ll transport yourself to Italy with this classic combination.

See all community cooking classes