The Milano Torino was the original incarnation of this cocktail, named after the cities where Campari and Martini Vermouth were made. Consisting of equal measures of Campari and Martini Rosso, heaps of ice and topped with soda for an ultimately refreshing long cold drink. So popular was the Milano Torino with the American Tourists of the day that the drink gained the addition of bitters and became known as The Americano. And so it still is known today, however the drink got far more interesting in Florence, 1919 with the influence of Count Negroni.

Count Camillo Negroni had spent a portion of his younger life in rural America, living and working the plains as a cowboy and stockman which gave him a taste for strong liquor. The story goes that upon his return to Florence he enjoyed drinking Americanos with the tourists, though his love for hard spirits eventually led him to ask the barman to mix his drink with Gin instead of soda. The reputation of both the man and his drink quickly spread until customers began asking for Negronis at bars all over Florence.

There is debate among bartenders whether the drink should be served ‘up’ (without ice) or on the rocks, and whether it should be ‘built’ in the glass over ice, or ‘stirred’ in a separate glass filled with ice before being strained into a fresh glass, either with or without ice.

The true beauty of The Negroni is that it can stand up to a lot; whether you lavish it with attention and finesse or whether you measure it out with an egg cup and stir it with your finger – you’re going to end up with a great drink.

The garnish is always simple – a slice of orange, a strip of orange peel or an ‘expressed’ twist. I have read historic recipes for both the Americano and Negroni which call for lemon to be used, but for me this upsets the balance of the drink and seems unfaithful to its origins.

To ‘express’ orange peel simply cut a strip with as little pith as possible (a vegetable peeler is the perfect tool), hold it over the finished drink and give it a swift pinch. The aim of this is for the oil from the skin to coat the surface of the drink, adding flavour and the most incredible scent. To add another level, rub the expressed skin around the rim of the glass for an intense orange flavour with every sip.

Tiki culture as we know it, was pretty much the creation of just two men – Don The Beachcomber and Trader Vic, defined as the style of drinks, food and decor inspired by American image of Polynesian and South Pacific cultures.

Born Ernest Gantt, but later changing his name legally to Donn Beach and preferring to go by Don The Beachcomber, Donn opened his first Hollywood bar in 1933. Inspired by his travels in The South Pacific the decor of the bar was themed around the items he had collected on his travels and while working on film sets. The drinks were tropical, being full of exotic juices and laced with Rum

Victor Bergeron opened his first bar in Oakland in 1934 named Hinky Dink’s, and inspired by Don The Beachcomber’s success the menu and decor evolved to become ever more tropically themed. Around 1940 the bar’s name changed to Trader Vic’s (Bergeron’s nickname) and one of the greatest ever cocktail rivalries was born.

What we do know is that post-prohibition America couldn’t get enough of these exuberant and luxurious bars. Both their drinks and decor couldn’t have been more different to the culture of bootlegging and speakeasies that they had endured under the era of prohibition. The American love affair with Polynesian culture grew and grew, and when American servicemen returned from their World War 2 duties in the South Pacific regions the Tiki craze exploded. So much so that supposedly world supplies of Rum became significantly depleted by US demand.

The Tiki obsession continued until the early 1970s, when it fell out of favour to be replaced with Disco culture and its associated fashions. Tiki culture all but disappeared in this period as quickly as it had arrived, with Tiki bars becoming few and far between. And so they stayed until the Craft Cocktail Revival of the1990s and early 2000s turned its attention back to this complex and often misunderstood style of drink. The last 15 or so years have seen a huge revival of tropical drinks, with San Francisco’s ‘Smugglers Cove’ Tiki bar being voted America’s Best Cocktail Bar in 2016.