The Negroni sbagliato, the mistaken Negroni, was born at Bar Basso in Milan, where the bartender Mirko Stocchetto is credited with swapping the gin of a classic Negroni for Italian sparkling wine. The usual story says a bottle of spumante was picked up by accident; Stocchetto's family has said he was experimenting quite deliberately with lighter drinks. Either way it became Milan's favorite aperitivo: red bitter, sweet vermouth and bubbles, served over ice with a slice of orange.

Aperitivo, the early evening drink with small snacks, is a Milanese institution, and the evening after qualifying at Monza is a fine time to observe it. The sbagliato is lighter than its parent, which is wise when there is a race to watch in the morning.

The sbagliato

Ingredients

• 1 oz (30 ml) red bitter aperitivo
• 1 oz (30 ml) sweet red vermouth
• 1 to 1 1/2 oz (30 to 45 ml) dry sparkling wine, very cold
• 2 or 3 large ice cubes
• 1 orange slice or a wide strip of orange peel

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