Drinkware Old Fashioned glass | Standard garnish Half an Orange Slice | |
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Preparation Pour the Campari and vermouth over ice into glass, add a splash of soda water and garnish with half orange slice. Served On the rocks; poured over ice Similar Negroni, Campari, Spritz, Vermouth, Manhattan | ||
The Americano is an IBA Official Cocktail composed of Campari, sweet vermouth, and club soda. The cocktail was first served in creator Gaspare Campari's bar, Caffè Campari, in the 1860s. It was originally known as the "Milano-Torino" because of its ingredients: Campari, the bitter liqueur, is from Milan (Milano) and Punt e Mes, the vermouth, is from Turin (Torino). There is a popular belief that in the early 1900s, the Italians noticed a surge of Americans who enjoyed the cocktail. As a compliment to the Americans, the cocktail later became known as the "Americano". Another explanation is the name was derived from the Italian language word "amaro", which means "bitter".
In popular culture
It is the first drink ordered by James Bond in the first novel in Ian Fleming's series, Casino Royale. 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." Bond always stipulates Perrier, for in his opinion expensive soda water was the cheapest way to improve a poor drink.
