Skip to Content
Recipes

How to Make a ‘Count Mario Tucci’ Negroni

Rosanna Scotto and Max Tucci with Negronis

One of the most legendary and celebrated cocktails in the world is the Italian Negroni. As noted in my entertaining/cookbook, The Delmonico Way: Sublime Entertaining & Legendary Recipes from the Restaurant that Made New York, my father, Mario Tucci, the famed restaurateur, first discovered the Negroni at Harry's Bar in Firenze. He insisted on having it Delmonico’s, and decades later, I insisted on having the cocktail in my book.

As legend has it, and as I write in the pages of my book, "The story of the Negroni began in 1919 at the Caffè Casoni in Florence. There’s no documented historical account, but it is believed by cocktailians that Count Camillo Negroni invented the drink when he ordered an Americano made with gin in place of the usual soda water from bartender Fosco Scarselli."

Legend also has it that when my father first met my mother, he served her a Negroni and said, “If she can stand up after a Negroni, she’s a keeper.” My father’s secrets for this cocktail are to serve it in a chilled balloon glass, garnish with an orange peel, and top it off with a superb vintage Champagne.

In the spirit of the Delmonico way, I give to you the recipe of the Mario Tucci Negroni. Cin-Cin and Salute!

How to Make a 'Count Mario Tucci' Negroni

How to Make a 'Count Mario Tucci' Negroni

Recipe by Max Tucci
0.0 from 0 votes
Course: Recipes
Servings

1

servings
Prep time

1

minute
Cooking time

minutes

Ingredients

  • Ice cubes

  • 1 ounce 1 Campari

  • 1 ounce 1 gin

  • 1 ounce 1 sweet red vermouth

  • 1 1 orange peel twist

  • 1 ounce 1 (a splash) Champagne

Directions

  • Fill a frozen balloon glass with plenty of ice.
  • Pour Campari, gin, and vermouth over the ice cubes. Gently stir with a bar spoon.
  • Garnish with the orange twist.
  • Add a splash of Champagne and serve.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @appetitomagazine on Instagram and hashtag it with #italianfoodanddrink

Like this recipe?

Follow @Appetitomagazine on Pinterest

Follow us on Facebook!

Follow us on Facebook

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Appetito

Four Bassano del Grappa Restaurants Locals Don’t Want You to Know About

Just beyond Venice, Bassano del Grappa offers the kind of local restaurants and everyday Veneto culture many travelers spend years trying to find.

May 13, 2026

How to Make Mira’s Sardinian Culurgiones at Home

At Buffalo’s Mira, chefs Manny and Gina Ocasio are bringing lesser-known regional Italian dishes to the table, including the intricate handmade Sardinian pasta known as culurgiones.

May 13, 2026

Ronnie Fieg Opens Ronnie’s Pronto Beside Kith West Hollywood

The Kith founder’s newest hospitality venture brings Italian-inspired sandwiches, frozen matcha drinks, and New York café culture to Sunset Boulevard.

May 12, 2026

Exploring Sorrento’s Culinary Traditions with Access Italy

While many travelers come to Sorrento for its dramatic coastline and seaside beauty, the peninsula’s most authentic stories are found through its food, from family-run restaurants and local wines to generations-old culinary traditions.

Regina’s Grocery Brings Calabrian Flavor to Orchard Street

In Episode Three of Appetito’s Regional Italian Series, Regina’s Grocery on Orchard Street reveals how Roman Grandinetti transforms Calabrian flavor, family history, and neighborhood nostalgia into sandwiches that feel deeply personal.

May 12, 2026

Monteverde’s Chef Bailey Sullivan on Atipica Italian Cooking in Chicago

From Top Chef to one of America’s most celebrated Italian kitchens, Monteverde Executive Chef Bailey Sullivan discusses her approach to Italian cooking.

See all posts