Since the invention of the cocktail, bartenders around the world have experimented with different flavours and ingredients, inventing and reinventing, taking classic flavour pairings and turning them into new and exciting creations.

It is the humble Negroni, the simple Italian cocktail of three parts – gin, vermouth rosso and Campari – that has over the years evolved to become an iconic Hakkasan cocktail.

Originating in Florence, Italy, in 1919, the Negroni was first created for Count Camillo Negroni at Caffè Casoni. According to folklore, the bartender who supposedly invented the drink, a man named Fosco Scarselli, was asked by the Count to strengthen his then favourite cocktail, the Americano, by adding gin instead of soda water, and thus the Negroni was invented. It is said that the bartender Scarselli later sent a letter to the Count advising him not to drink more than 20 of the cocktails per day due to their intoxicating nature.

The Negroni has many classic variations. The lighter Negroni Sbagliato (created wholly accidentally) replaces gin with Prosecco, whilst My Old Pal, the American twist on the traditional recipe, substitutes gin for rye whisky. It is argued that the Negroni is now one of the cocktails that bartenders most enjoy experimenting with, such are its simple components and pleasing results.

The Hakkasan adaptation on the classic, the Smoky Negroni, is a cocktail that features on Hakkasan menus around the world. But while the cocktail is iconic, the recipe has changed many times over the years, evolving naturally and differing from restaurant to restaurant.