The Life Negroni
By Leigh and Nargess Banks
Mixing up a monograph about a single cocktail seems like a tall order, but the Banks’ celebration of all things Italian, bitter and sweet offers a life history of a famous drink. Exploring not just the best way of mixing gin, vermouth and bitters, it’s also the history behind its alleged creation, as well as the makers and marks behind the principal ingredients that go into shaking it up. That means traversing the globe, seeking out London gins, Piedmont’s Vermouth di Torino and of course Campari, ’the king of bitters’. The latter company has a long history of patronage, offering up a world of archive imagery, anecdote and exploration, from the sage advice of Ernest Hemingway – always an expert in all things alcoholic – to the ins and out of the Playboy Club, and top tips from contemporary experts.
Published by Spinach Publishing, £20
Writer: Jonathan Bell. Photography: Tsvetelina Ivanova and Charlotte Crowston