Negroni Sbagliato

(recipe and story from La Cucina Italiana magazine)

"The house specialty at the legendary Bar Basso, which trailblazed Milan's aperitivo scene in the 1960's, translates as "wrong" or "mistaken" Negroni - a fitting name for a cocktail born from a happy mistake.  Maurizio Stocchetto, proprietor of Bar Basso and son of the famed aperitivo maestro Mirko Stocchetto, says one night his father was reaching for gin for a classic Negroni and grabbed a misplaced bottle of spumante by accident.  A customer urged him to add the bubbly instead of the gin.  An instant hit, the drink became the bar's signature.  The original Negroni has similar origins.  In the 1920's, Count Camillo Negroni had his bartender in Florence swap gin for the soda water in an Americano (Campari and sweet vermouth topped with soda water).  There's no telling whether the old Count would have approved of the Negroni Sbagliato, but any number of Bar Basso's stylish clientele will attest to the drink's allure."

makes 1 drink

1 ounce Campari
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1 ounce dry spumante
orange slice for garnish

Fill a rocks glass with ice.  Add Campari, vermouth, and spumante, in that order.  Gently stir and garnish with orange slice.