Americano (cocktail)

Americano

IBA official cocktail
Type	Mixed drink
Base spirit	Vermouth Campari
Served	On the rocks: poured over ice
Standard garnish	half an orange slice, lemon twist
Standard drinkware	Old fashioned glass
IBA specified ingredients†	3 cl Campari 3 cl sweet red vermouth A splash of soda water
Preparation	Pour the Campari and vermouth over ice into an old fashioned glass, add a splash of soda water and garnish with half lemon slice and an orange twist.
Commonly served	Before dinner
† Americano recipe at International Bartenders Association

The Americano is an IBA official cocktail^[1] composed of Campari, sweet vermouth, and for the sparkling version, club soda and garnished with a slice of lemon or an orange twist.^[2][3]

History

The cocktail was first served in creator Gaspare Campari's bar, Caffè Campari in Milan. In the 1860s, an American man, who was under the impression that Campari was a long drink, ordered it, hated it, and said it would be better served iced and fizzy. He ordered a Campari and soda which became too bitter; after a few iterations he and the esteemed bartender decided on Vermouth as the perfect blend.^[4] It is the direct descendant of the "Milano-Torino" which consisted of Campari, the bitter liqueur from Milan (Milano) and Punt e Mes, the vermouth from Turin (Torino) but lacked soda water. This drink was itself a descendant of the "Torino-Milano", a concoction consisting of equal parts Campari and Amaro Cora.^[5]

In popular culture

It is the first drink ordered by James Bond in the first novel in Ian Fleming's series, Casino Royale. In From Russia With Love, Bond drinks "two excellent Americanos" in Rome during his flight to Istanbul. In the short story "From a View to a Kill", Bond chooses an Americano as an appropriate drink for a mere café; suggesting that "in cafés you have to drink the least offensive of the musical comedy drinks that go with them."^[6] Bond always stipulates Perrier, for, in his opinion, expensive soda water was the cheapest way to improve a poor drink.

In The Tourist, Elise and Fred each had an Americano (or two) before their fancy dinner at a Venetian restaurant, and resumed drinking that post-dinner back in their hotel room. In The Talented Mr. Ripley, Tom and Dickie drink americanos on the Via Veneto in Rome.

See also

Drink portal Liquor portal

• List of cocktails
• List of cocktails (alphabetical)
• List of IBA official cocktails
• Negroni

References

1. "The Unforgettables". International Bartenders Association. Archived from the original on 9 March 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
2. "2-Ingredient Cocktails You'll Want to Memorize".
3. "Classics You Should Know: The Americano". Liquor.com. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
4. "Campari Takes Center Stage In This Tasty Americano Cocktail". The Spruce Eats. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
5. "The Americano and the Milano Torino cocktails - an introduction and instructions". OLIVER McCRUM WINES & SPIRITS. 11 May 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
6. Fleming, Ian. "From a View to a Kill" in The Complete James Bond Short Stories. New York, 2004.