It is the impossible-to-pronounce Italian word that is on everyone’s lips in line at the bar – or, more likely – while making do with what’s in the fridge. “Sbagliato” – meaning “bungled” or “mistaken” – has suddenly become the all-important addendum in ordering a negroni.
A negroni sbagliato is simply a negroni mixed with prosecco in place of the traditional gin, yet on Google Trends, which shows global search interest over time, there was a seismic spike on 5 October.
The origins of the trend can be identified with unusual precision: a namecheck by actor Emma D’Arcy. In a video to promote House of the Dragon, posted to HBO’s TikTok account, D’Arcy, who is non-binary, is asked by co-star Olivia Cooke about their favourite cocktail. They give the instantly iconic response: “Negroni sbagliato – with prosecco in it.” Italian, spoken by a Briton, has never sounded better.
TikTok was spellbound – the original clip now has 30m views.
Many drinks trends that set social media abuzz would raise, at best, a weary sigh of reluctant recognition at the bar. The negroni sbagliato, however, is a legitimate cocktail, with origins that go beyond the need to fuel the content machine. Henry Jeffreys, drinks writer and author of the Cocktail Dictionary, says it is a recognised twist on the negroni.
“Negronis are so drinkable, but so strong, which is why they’re so dangerous,” says Jeffreys. The difference is the alcohol content. “The sbagliato is a really good alternative if you want a negroni, but you also want to get something done afterwards.” A sbagliato comes in at about 15%, whereas a standard negroni is between 25% or 30%.
Like all good memes, it even has a backstory. “Apparently the bartender was meant to be making a negroni, reached for the wrong bottle, and put prosecco instead of gin,” says Jeffreys, “so ‘sbagliato’ means muddled, or wrong in Italian”.
Jeffreys takes the story with a pinch of salt, noting its “suspicious” similarities to the origins of the negroni itself, when the apocryphal waiter was attempting to make a Milano-Torino, mixing Campari, vermouth and fizzy water – and grabbed the gin instead of the soda siphon. “In some versions, being Italian, he was distracted by a beautiful lady,” adds Jeffreys, drier than a martini.
Yet the latest chapter in the evolution of negroni mythology could not be more 2022, being sparked by the stars of the year’s biggest television show, spreading via TikTok and being spun, almost instantaneously, into memes and merchandise (with cult label Novel Mart selling sweaters, caps and hoodies bearing “sbagliato” as a complement to its “negroni” baseball caps, beloved by fashion insiders).
There’s another reason that the order’s taking off in these times: with prosecco being significantly cheaper than gin, the sbagliato is a perfect cocktail for a cost of living crisis. Jeffreys likens it to a reversal of the upgrade in spirits that many home drinkers treated themselves to through the pandemic, with many brands already increasing their prices.
“Sbagliato” could even describe an approach to life: a muddled drink for muddled times, born of – and consumed in – the spirit of making do.
