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Cocktails

The Sbagliato Is Always in Season

December 20, 2022

Story: Punch Staff

photo: Lizzie Munro

Cocktails

The Sbagliato Is Always in Season

December 20, 2022

Story: Punch Staff

photo: Lizzie Munro

Perfectly bitter and built right in the glass, these riffs on the sparkling Negroni are year-round staples.

We’ll spare you the Negroni Sbagliato’s cute origin story. By now, I think we can all agree that it’d take a monumentally harried bartender in a blindfold to accidentally grab a bottle of prosecco in place of gin. However the drink actually came to be, many of us have undoubtedly stumbled across the oversized version served at its place of birth or caught ourselves automatically describing the drink as stunning in the wake of this now-viral TikTok.

Like its forebear the Negroni, the sbagliato has ridden the aperitivo wave well beyond Italy’s borders. And just like the Negroni, its simple construction—equal parts Campari and sweet vermouth, topped with prosecco—has yielded countless variations. This stands to reason. The sheer volume of nouveau sbagliatos is a reflection of just how expansive both the vermouth and red bitter aperitivo categories have become—to say nothing of a new, more diverse world of sparkling wines. The form has been stretched so far that the question of when the drink can no longer reasonably bear the name is a salient one.

But we’re not here to debate—we’re here to drink. From our very favorite classic-with-a-twist that swaps Campari for Forthave Spirits Red Aperitivo and Cappelletti to a slightly savory spin made with coconut water, here are a few of our favorite variations on the Milanese classic, each demonstrating how subtle swaps and additions can make it feel new again.

Appennini Spritz Cocktail Recipe
Recipes

Appennini Spritz

Barolo Chinato meets Cappelletti in this luscious take on a Sbagliato.

Recipes

Joe Campanale’s Negroni Sbagliato

A Sbagliato with endless layers of piquant, herbal and savory flavors.

Recipes

Belvoir Boulevard

Ambrato vermouth offers a lighter touch in Pamela Wiznitzer's sbagliato lookalike.

Sbagliato Cocktail Recipe
Recipes

Golden Sbagliato

Dante's elevated take on the Negroni Sbagliato respects the drink's heritage while presenting it in a new way.

Rosa Sbagliato Cocktail Recipe
Recipes

Sbagliato Rosa

This pink-hued twist on the Negroni Sbagliato topped with rosé Champagne.

Recipes

Suplada Spritz

A Filipino Adobo-inspired take on the Negroni Sbagliato.

Recipes

White Negroni Sbagliato

Toby Cecchini's sbagliato version of the modern-classic.

americanah cocktail
Recipes

The Americanah

Tangy coconut water and rosé Lambrusco frizzante lend this drink a touch of minerality.

tan line spritz cocktail recipe
Recipes

Tan Line Spritz

An easy-going, light and bright Sbagliato rendition made with watermelon juice.

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