The Americano recipe
for your table
Fill a tumbler or small highball glass with ice cubes.
Pour the Campari and vermouth over it.
Top with a splash of chilled soda water and stir once.
Garnish with half an orange wheel.
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The story
The drink originated in the 1860s at Gaspare Campari’s bar in Milan, as the 'Milano-Torino'. Campari from Milan, vermouth from Turin. When American tourists fell in love with it en masse in the early twentieth century, the Italians jokingly renamed it 'Americano'. An extra bit of literary history: in Casino Royale, it’s not the Martini but the Americano that James Bond orders first. Anyone wanting to experience Milan’s aperitivo culture starts here.
The right glass
The Americano is flexible: in Milan, you’ll find it served in both a low tumbler and a small highball glass. A 34 to 35 cl tumbler gives it that classic aperitivo feel; choose a model with some texture for the retro look of a Milanese bar. The most important rule: plenty of ice and a generous orange garnish. If you prefer to serve it in a small highball glass with plenty of ice, take a look at our highball glasses.
RCR Alkemist Tumbler 35 cl (6 pieces)
Arcoroc Islande Long Drink Glass 33 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 52,90.
The right tools
For an Americano, in addition to the glass, you use a long bar spoon, a jigger for precise measuring and long ice sticks. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Reaches the bottom of a tall glass
Glassware set (our choice 01) + 3 bar tools together € 80,80.
Variations & twists
More soda makes it an even lighter terrace drink; less soda brings you close to a Milano-Torino, the original without bubbles. With grapefruit soda instead of soda water, you get a modern, fresh twist. The next step up the bitterness ladder is called Negroni. More inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
The Americano is ideal for guests who want 'something light': around 10% alcohol in the glass. Serve it with salty snacks; the bitterness and salt make each other taste better.
Good to know
Americano or Negroni: the difference
Put the two side by side and the difference is one ingredient. Both use equal parts Campari and sweet vermouth; where the Negroni gets 3 cl of gin, the Americano uses a splash of soda water. That is the difference between more than 24 percent alcohol and about 10. The Americano is also the older of the two: the Negroni only emerged when Count Camillo Negroni asked for something stronger around 1919. If you want the bridge between the two, pour in prosecco instead of soda and you have a Negroni Sbagliato.
Which sweet vermouth should you choose
Because only three things go into the glass, you taste the vermouth immediately. A classic Italian sweet vermouth such as Carpano Antica or Cocchi Vermouth di Torino adds depth, with vanilla and bitter herbs that balance the Campari. Cheaper vermouth is often sweeter and flatter, making the cocktail syrupy. More important than the brand is storage: vermouth is wine and deteriorates after opening. Keep the bottle in the refrigerator and use it within a month or six weeks; otherwise, you will mainly taste oxidation instead of herbs.
How much alcohol does it contain
Campari is around 25 percent ABV and sweet vermouth around 15, and together that is just 6 cl of spirits in a glass otherwise filled with soda and ice. In the glass, that works out to about 10 percent, comparable to a generous glass of wine. That is exactly why the Americano became Italy's standard aperitif: you can have two before dinner without the evening getting out of hand. Leave out the soda, and you immediately jump to nearly 25 percent and completely change the character.
Americano cocktail or caffè americano
If you search online for americano, you mostly get coffee. The confusion is understandable, because both names refer to Americans in Italy, but otherwise they have nothing in common. The coffee is espresso diluted with hot water; the cocktail is Campari with sweet vermouth and soda, cold and bitter. In an Italian bar, you therefore order the cocktail as an americano and the coffee as a caffè americano. If you still want to combine coffee and alcohol, you end up with a carajillo or an espresso martini, and those are very different drinks.
Americano cocktail recipe in brief
The Americano cocktail recipe depends on the order. First fill the glass completely with large ice cubes, then pour the 3 cl Campari and 3 cl red vermouth over them, and add the soda last; it should be well chilled straight from the bottle. One gentle stir is enough; if you keep stirring, the carbonation will be gone before the glass reaches the table. Squeeze the half orange slice over the glass before placing it in, so the oils from the peel are released.
Americano spritz in a larger glass
For an Americano spritz, keep the 3 cl Campari and 3 cl red vermouth, but use a large wine glass filled with ice and top up more generously with soda water. The result is thinner and even lighter, and works well on a warm evening or during a long drinks gathering. Pour the soda down along an ice cube instead of into the middle of the glass to retain more bubbles. The Americano cocktail remains the starting point: equal parts bitter and vermouth, and the orange is not decoration but flavor.
Frequently asked questions
What is in an Americano cocktail?
An Americano consists of 3 cl Campari, 3 cl sweet red vermouth, and a splash of soda water, served over plenty of ice and garnished with half an orange slice. There is no shaker involved: everything goes directly into the glass and is then gently stirred once.
What is the difference between an Americano and a Negroni?
An Americano has soda water where a Negroni has gin. Both use equal parts Campari and red vermouth, but the sparkling water keeps the Americano light and approachable, while the gin makes the Negroni much stronger. Historically, the Americano is the older of the two.
How much alcohol is in an Americano?
An Americano comes out at about 10 percent alcohol in the glass. Campari and red vermouth are both relatively low in alcohol, and the soda water and melting ice dilute it further. That makes this one of the lightest classics and a good choice for a long evening.
Which glass do you use for an Americano?
A 34 to 35 cl tumbler or a small highball glass is the classic choice; in Milan, you see both side by side. More important than the shape is what goes inside: plenty of ice and a generous orange garnish. See our tumbler glasses.
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