Americano (cocktail)
| IBA Official Cocktail | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Mixed drink |
| Primary alcohol by volume | |
| Served | On the rocks; poured over ice |
| Standard garnish |
half an orange slice |
| Standard drinkware |  |
| IBA specified ingredients* | |
| Preparation | Pour the Campari and vermouth over ice into glass, add a splash of soda water and garnish with half orange slice. |
The Americano is an IBA Official Cocktail[1] composed of Campari, sweet vermouth, and club soda. The cocktail was first served in creator Gaspare Campari's bar, Caffè Campari, in the 1860s. It was originally known as the "Milano-Torino" because of its ingredients: Campari, the bitter liqueur, is from Milan (Milano) and Punt e Mes, the vermouth, is from Turin (Torino). It is popular belief that in the early 1900s, the Italians noticed a surge of Americans who enjoyed the cocktail. As a compliment to the Americans, the cocktail later became known as the "Americano". A more unlikely explanation is that the name was derived from the word "amaro", which means "bitter" in Italian.
It is the first drink ordered by James Bond in the first novel in Ian Fleming's series, Casino Royale. In the short story "From a View to a Kill" Bond chooses an Americano as an appropriate drink for a mere café; suggesting that "in cafés you have to drink the least offensive of the musical comedy drinks that go with them."[2] Bond always stipulates Perrier, for in his opinion expensive soda water was the cheapest way to improve a poor drink.
Cocktail IBA
In the latest version IBA, lemon peel is deleted from the recipe. Most establishments, however, prepare the drink with a sparkling water devoid of salt and the zest of a lemon.
See also
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The Wikibook Bartending has a page on the topic of: Americano |
References
- ↑ "Americano". International Bartenders Association. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- ↑ Fleming, Ian. "From a View to a Kill" in The Complete James Bond Short Stories. New York, 2004.
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