Luca Picchi Brings Negroni Expertise to PH for Negroni Week

Luca Picchi, a revered Italian bartender and historian, is widely recognized as the world’s leading expert on the Negroni. His dedication to uncovering the origins of this iconic cocktail, made of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth, has brought clarity to a century-old mystery. In his book “Negroni Cocktail: An Italian Legend,” Picchi traces the drink’s creation to Florence in 1919, where Count Camillo Negroni asked bartender Fosco Scarselli to add gin to his Americano, sparking the birth of one of Italy’s most famous cocktails.

His passion for Italian cocktail culture goes beyond the Negroni’s origin story. He champions the preservation of authentic recipes while encouraging bartenders worldwide to explore new interpretations of the drink. His work has been instrumental in the Negroni’s global revival, inspiring new generations to embrace both its traditional roots and modern variations. 

Picchi came to Manila to celebrate this year’s Negroni Week with an insightful masterclass to go in-depth into the origins of the Negroni, as well as a bar shift at The Spirits Library, where he served five Negroni cocktails. 

In our exclusive interview, Luca Picchi delves deeper into his research, the cultural significance of the Negroni, and his thoughts on the drink’s enduring appeal.

What was it about the Negroni that fascinated you and made you decide to do research on it? 

When I was very young, 16 or 17, a bartender told me about this Italian cocktail that’s made with gin, Campari, and vermouth and was invented by Count Negroni in Florence. But nobody truly knew the history. There were a lot of opinions and stories about that drink. There was a story that it was born in Milan, and there was a legend that the Negroni was invented in Zanzibar by a French Colonel in 1830, but that’s fake news because Campari was invented 50 years later.

But I remember the story from the old bartender, so in honor of that opinion, I started to research. When I started my research, it was for making an official plaque about the history of when and where the Negroni was invented. I read a lot of news about this and I sent it to the Italian Bartenders Association and International Bartenders Association (IBA) to have the plaque stamped as official and authenticated. But my research grew with time and a friend suggested I write a book about it. 

For me, it’s very important to preserve the history of this cocktail. I think the Negroni is the most documented cocktail in the world. There are some people who use the memory of the Negroni just for business, and I fought a lot of battles against that. I now know the family of Camillo Negroni. I preserved the memory of their grandfather, and I have the exclusive publishing rights from the family

What makes a good Negroni?

You need to know your ingredients deeply. Because it’s very easy to make a bad Negroni. The first thing is the balance of ingredients, the harmony at the molecular level of each ingredient. And then you need to know very well what is inside each of your ingredients. If you have a very complex gin, in my opinion, it’s best to use a simple vermouth. And if you use a very complex vermouth, you need to use a simple gin. It’s a simple cocktail made with three ingredients and it’s very easy to do a twist to it. If you do a twist to a Negroni, you always need to be reminded of the idea of Negroni, the technique. 

What is something that most people don’t know about the history of the Negroni?

Florence, for 5 years, was the capital of Italy in the 19th century. This is important—it’s one of the most important points in the history of Negroni because when Florence was the capital, the king, the king’s court, went to Florence and took with them the tradition to drink red vermouth from Turin. Before that, no one in Florence or Tuscany knew or drank vermouth because there are the famous Tuscany wines, so people only drank wine or beer, but no vermouth. 

So when Florence was the capital, the vermouth from Turin was the VIP drink that was brought there. This is the deepest roots of the history of Negroni. At the end of the 19th century, the only cocktail that was invented in Italy was the Americano (Campari, red vermouth, soda water), and was well-known in Florence. And the Americano is the grandfather of the Negroni. 

A Negroni might be intimidating to some. What’s the best way to introduce the cocktail? 

I think if you tell the story of the Negroni, a short story about the cocktail, it will have a good effect. Because once you know the story, you’ll be thirsty before sipping. The account, the relationship between the bartender and guest is very important in this. Once you share the story, it will draw them in and make them curious. 

Do you have a go-to hangover remedy?

I don’t drink a lot. I do like a lot of cocktails, and I love to drink. Moderation is important. I had a few hangovers in my life when I was very young and it was terrible. I don’t like to be drunk. When you have this sensation of peace and love for everybody, stop drinking. When you’re happy, drink water, maybe take a walk for 30 minutes then come back. Do not do too much too fast. Know your limit. 

You’ll be judging the Campari Red Hands Finals in Milan this year, what do you look for in a winning cocktail?

I’ve judged a lot of competitions, and I can be very hard and strict. It depends on the rules of the competition, of course. But apart from that, I look for certain things, and sensations. Like the glass, it should be chilled. It helps keep the cocktail cold. When the cocktail is very chilled, it’s a great sensation because the molecular spirits are closed in low temperature. You need a few seconds to warm it just a little bit. I also value the aroma, the nose of the cocktail. And I watch the color and harmony of the cocktail too. If there’s a garnish or not, if the garnish is close to one of the ingredients of the cocktail. Little things that I discover. I take a sip, drink water, and think about the first sip. Then I take a second sip, that’s the real sip that I value. And see if the finish is long or short, and if the flavors are in harmony and see if one of the ingredients is over the other ones or if it’s like an orchestra or opera in the mouth.

Do you have any advice for people who want to enter the industry?

In general, someone might see a video on the internet, YouTube, or TikTok and watch famous bartenders and think, “I can make this and now I’m a bartender.” No. They need experience, they need time. They need to study and get seasoned. 

You’ve had a long and distinguished career in the industry. Could you share some insights or reflections on your journey?

I work a lot. Sometimes I work 12-13 hours. That’s my secret. I’m lucky too because I have a job that I love. I’m a simple man and my heart is not for being a superstar. I work, and I’ve made courses since 1995 that helped people. If somebody needs help, I’ll help them without any remark. And for that, people have a good opinion of me.  

Next year, I’ll be 50 years in the industry. I started cleaning glasses when I was 14 during summer time in my uncle’s disco. I discovered step by step the world of bartending. But it was difficult to learn because there was no internet and no books. It was difficult to have news about the bartending world. Now it’s much more simple. 

I’ll share a story.  At the end of the 1990’s, before the second millennium, I wanted to stop this job because the world of bartending was a trash situation. The industry was more interested in forming superstars. It was the moment of melon vodka, strawberry vodka, peach vodka. It was terrible. It was a very bad moment for me and I was thinking about stopping. But I saw a little light. I knew some guys that were the pioneers of the new wave of cocktails like Dale Degroff, Sasha Petraske, and Dave Wondrich. Who stopped that trend and focused instead on the origins of the cocktails. And now it’s been more than 20 years that I’ve been working like this. I love my job. I’m very happy. I’m very lucky.

Follow Luca Picchi on Instagram. The fifth edition of his book, Negroni Cocktail. An Italian Legend, will be released soon.