Milano-Torino Recipe - Imbibe Magazine Subscribe + Save

Milano-Torino Recipe

milano torino recipe

Equal parts bitter and sweet, this simple Negroni ancestor is almost too easy to mix.

The etymology and provenance of cocktails can be a murky field of study. Not so when it comes to the Milano-Torino, perhaps one of the most logical monikers in the cocktail canon. In fact, for fans of Italian drinking culture, the name is practically the recipe. Comprised in equal measure of Campari (hailing from Milan) and vermouth di Torino, the drink is a marriage of regional Italian flavors—a marriage that resulted in numerous offspring. And while the Milano-Torino may not have global name recognition, its grandchild, the Negroni, has successfully drawn the attention of cocktail enthusiasts back toward all things Italian.

“Without question, the extensive global marketing campaigns of Campari focusing on the Aperol Spritz and the Negroni drove awareness to the transportive power of drinking Italian in the style of la dolce vita,” muses Brad Thomas Parsons, author of the books Bitters, Amaro, and a forthcoming title about Italian drinking culture. “From there you have bartenders leading the charge to dig deeper into the Italian aperitivo canon of drinks, and the countless twists and variations.”

While an appreciation for aperitivi and all-things-bitter continues to grow, Parsons thinks the Milano-Torino recipe still remains more of a deep-cut among the Negroni family tree. “The minimalist spec of the drink can be appealing at times, especially when it’s not gussied up with any other ingredients beyond ice and an orange twist,” says Parsons. “It can work as a reset drink between cocktails as well as a nice first drink of the night, or even an after-dinner option to linger over.”

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 oz. Campari
  • 1 1/2 vermouth di Torino
  • Tools:mixing glass, barspoon, strainer
  • Glass:double rocks
  • Garnish:orange slice

Preparation

Add both ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir briefly. Strain into a rocks glass filled with a large ice cube, and garnish.

TipWhen it comes to vermouth and bitter liqueur, options abound. Parsons notes that it can be fun to “break the rules of the template and expand your boundaries, like using a bitter bianco and a bianco vermouth, or outright abandon the aperitivo bitter element and reach for a number of mix-and-match amaro and vermouth combinations that remain true to the idea of the original mash-up, but go in completely different directions.”

Enjoy This Article?

Sign up for our newsletter and get biweekly recipes and articles delivered to your inbox.

Send this to a friend