The Americano is Campari, sweet vermouth and soda water over ice. Three ingredients, no spirit, about the strength of a glass of wine, and the drink the Negroni was invented from. If you find a Negroni too strong or too bitter, this is the one to make.
Table of Contents
The classic Americano recipe
Ingredients (makes one)
- 30 ml Campari
- 30 ml sweet (red) vermouth
- Soda water, chilled, a good splash (about 60 ml if you like it long)
- Ice
- Half a slice of orange and a strip of lemon peel
Method
- Fill a short tumbler with ice.
- Pour in the Campari and vermouth.
- Top with soda water and give it one gentle stir. Any more and you knock the fizz out.
- Add the orange slice and twist the lemon peel over the top before dropping it in.
That is the International Bartenders Association version. It is a short drink. For a longer, lighter one, use 45 ml of each and top with 60 ml of soda in a highball; that is how most Australian bars serve it in summer, and it is the version in the recipe card below.
Americano Cocktail
Ingredients
- 45 ml Campari
- 45 ml Sweet Vermouth
- 60 ml Soda Water
- Ice
- Orange twist for garnish
Method
- Begin by selecting a suitable glass for your cocktail. Fill it generously with fresh, clean ice cubes.
- Measure out the Campari and sweet vermouth accurately.
- Pour these ingredients slowly over the ice in the glass.
- Using a long bar spoon, stir the mixture lightly to combine the Campari and vermouth. Avoid overmixing at this stage.
- Carefully pour the measured amount of soda water over the mixture. Allow it to cascade gently over the other ingredients.
- With your bar spoon, give the entire cocktail a final, gentle stir. This helps to integrate the soda water without losing carbonation.
Equal parts Campari and vermouth, then soda to taste. Stir, never shake.
Why it works
Campari is bitter and vermouth is sweet, and in equal parts they cancel each other into something that tastes of orange peel and herbs. The soda lengthens it and the bubbles carry the aroma. Because there is no gin or whisky, the whole drink sits at roughly 8 to 10% alcohol once diluted, so you can have two before dinner and still taste the food.
The vermouth is the ingredient that makes or breaks it. Martini Rosso does the job. Cinzano 1757 or Cocchi Storico di Torino make a noticeably better drink for a few dollars more. Keep the open bottle in the fridge. Our guide to vermouth explains why it matters.
Three variations
Negroni. Replace the soda with 30 ml of gin. That is the whole difference, and it is how the Negroni was born in 1919. The Negroni recipe is on the site.
Americano with Aperol. Swap the Campari for Aperol for a sweeter, less bitter, more orange version. Closer to a spritz.
Milano-Torino. Leave out the soda. Just Campari and vermouth over ice. This is the original from the 1860s; the soda came later.
A very short history
Gaspare Campari created his bitter in the 1860s and served it at his café in Milan. Mixed with sweet vermouth from Turin, the drink was called the Milano-Torino. The story goes that American visitors took to it during Prohibition and it picked up their name. It appears in Ian Fleming’s first Bond novel, Casino Royale, as Bond’s drink of choice when nothing better is on offer.
Serving and food
It is an aperitivo. Serve it before a meal, on a warm evening, with something salty: olives, crisps, a plate of prosciutto, or a bowl of salted almonds. It is also the drink to hand someone who says they do not like cocktails.
Frequently asked questions
Is an Americano cocktail the same as an Americano coffee?
No. The coffee is espresso with hot water. The cocktail is Campari, vermouth and soda. Order carefully in Italy.
How strong is it?
Around 8 to 10% alcohol after dilution, similar to a glass of wine. The Negroni, by comparison, is about 24% after dilution.
Can I make it with dry vermouth?
You can, but it will be sharper and less rounded. The classic uses sweet red vermouth. Dry vermouth makes a drink closer to a Campari and soda.
Can I batch it?
Mix the Campari and vermouth ahead in a bottle in the fridge, 30 ml of each per drink. Add the soda and ice when you serve, never before.
