The Sprezzatura Style of Bar Basso's Signature Negroni Sbagliato Glass
How a Humble Mistake Became an Italian Classic
The Negroni Sbagliato: Born at Bar Basso
The story of the Negroni Sbagliato, a humble mistake that turned into an Italian classic and international sensation, begins at Bar Basso, located in Città Studi, a residential neighborhood in Milan that’s home to two universities. It first opened its current location in 1947 and 20 years later Venetian-born bartender Mirko Stocchetto (1931 -2016) took over the Milanese caffe. His arrival at Bar Basso coincided with the ‘60s counter-culture in Italy, inspired by the British Invasion, and soon Bar Basso became a gathering place for students, artists, journalists, politicians, actors, editors, architects, designers, and fashionistas. Even today, Bar Basso has remained a creative hub and hangout for the fashion and design set.
In the late ‘60s, beyond aperitivo-style drinks, wine, and beer, most classic cocktails were only found in higher-end hotels. Mirko Stocchetto brought his experience working at bars from Venice to Cortina d’Ampezzo (including Harry’s Bar, Hotel Monaco, and Hotel Posta) to Bar Basso to ultimately create a cocktail menu of over 500 different drinks deemed “Cocktails in the Old School” (including the White Russian, Brandy Alexander, Bloody Mary, Grasshopper, and Gibson, to name a few) to compete with Milan’s larger bars and hotels. But the most famous cocktail served at Bar Basso was something that wasn’t workshopped or planned, but the result of a happy accident.