First #aperitivo of the year

Friday afternoon, beautiful and sunny, cold but nothing and extra jumper or scarf won’t cure. Its time for the first aperitivo of the year. Aperol spritz, Hugo, Campari or a simple prosecco. A great way to finish off the weekdays and start the weekend. Relaxing with friends and catching up with what has been on.

My favourite has to be the Negroni.

The Negroni is made of one part gin one part sweet vermouth (red), and one part Campari, garnished with orange peel. A traditionally made Negroni is stirred, not shaken, and built over ice in an old-fashioned or rocks glass and garnished with a slice of orange.

While the drink's origins are unknown, the most widely reported account is that it was first mixed in here in Florence in 1919, at Caffè Casoni (formerly Caffè Giacosa). Count Camillo Negroni concocted it by asking the bartender, Fosco Scarselli, to strengthen his favorite cocktail, the Americano, by adding gin rather than the normal soda water. The bartender also added an orange garnish rather than the typical lemon garnish of the Americano to signify that it was a different drink

• 25ml gin

• 25ml sweet vermouth

• 25ml Campari

• ice

• slice of orange

• STEP 1

  Pour the gin, vermouth and Campari into a mixing glass or jug with ice. Stir well until the outside of the glass feels cold.

• STEP 2

  Strain into a tumbler and add 1 large ice sphere or some fresh ice, and garnish with an orange slice, using a blood orange when in season.