Giada De Laurentiis' Favorite Way To Serve Negronis

Every frequent alcohol drinker has a go-to drink that they prefer to order or make whenever they get the chance, and while this can sometimes come in the form of one of the most popular cocktails over the years, it can also frequently be an underrated variation on a classic alcoholic beverage. The latter is the case for beloved celebrity chef and restaurateur Giada De Laurentiis, who favors Negroni Sbagliatos above the original version of the cocktail.

Giada De Laurentiis has long praised the Negroni Sbagliatos — which literally translates to "Negroni Mistake" in Italian – and offers the cocktail at many of her restaurants. This take on the classic gin cocktail foregoes the liquor entirely, instead utilizing sparkling wine in its place.

For fans of Negroni, which is considered a tried and true cocktail recipe, you'll know that this substitution makes a massive difference in the simplistic drink's makeup; because gin is a pillar of Negronis alongside Campari and sweet vermouth, its replacement creates a much sweeter drink with a unique, fizzy taste that is incredibly refreshing. While the drink has a much lower alcohol by volume percentage than the standard Negroni, it makes up for it by being a high-end, elegant drink that goes perfectly alongside a meal or at a cocktail party.

Now, while the recipe only has a few distinct ingredients, it's incredibly important that you pick the right ones for the job when making a Negroni Sbagliato to get the best results. For starters, Giada De Laurentiis utilizes bitters to balance out the recipe's sweetness incredibly well. This fourth ingredient can also be used to complement Campari in particular by using specifically orange bitters to get the job done.

Beyond that, choosing the right sparkling wine for your Negroni Sbagliato can make or break the drink. The common consensus among De Laurentiis and chefs like Bobby Flay — who also loves the Negroni Sbagliato cocktail — is that prosecco is the ideal sparkling wine to pick, as it has a light yet brisk taste and subtle bittersweet quality that is perfect for the drink. Alternatively, you can use dry cava for a slightly less sweet version, or even sparkling water if you just want that carbonated quality that makes the Negroni Sbagliato so great without using wine to achieve it.