How To Make a Negroni Sbagliato Cocktail

Last Updated on April 10, 2025 by Tracy

The Negroni Sbagliato is a sparkling twist on the classic Negroni, made with Campari, sweet vermouth, and brut champagne. This refreshing Italian aperitif is perfect for any occasion—learn how to make it with this easy cocktail recipe!

If you are looking for a simple and sophisticated cocktail that is easy to make at home, the Negroni Sbagliato is perfect for you. First created in Milan as a “happy accident” at Bar Basso in 1969, the drink remains popular today. In fact, Sbagliato, translated from Italian means “mistake”. You may recognize it as a recent TikTok trend which gave it a boost in popularity. 

A traditional Negroni is made with Campari, vermouth,  and gin. The Negroni version of the drink uses Campari, and vermouth, but the gin is replaced by a sparkling wine like Prosecco. In the version we are going to make today the sparkling wine is French Blue Cremant de Bordeaux Brut. 

For this version of the cocktail, you will need sweet vermouth which has a subtle sweet flavor of caramel and vanilla with a slightly warm and spicy undertone. The Campari has a bitter citrusy flavor that has notes of orange peel, cinnamon, and cloves that go very well with the orange peel garnish. The final ingredient for this simple cocktail is sparkling wine, and in this case, we are using French Blue Cremant de Bordeaux Brut. It has a dry crisp flavor with a creamy citrus finish. You can definitely see how these simple ingredients complement each other! 

Negroni Sbagliato are most often served in an old-fashioned glass, but can also be served in a chilled champagne flute. To make one for yourself, place ice in your favorite glass and pour one ounce each of Campari and sweet vermouth over the top of it. Top your cocktail glass off with one ounce of French Blue Cremant de Bordeaux Brut, and add more to taste if desired. Finish it off with a slice of orange peel for garnish. 

A Negroni Sbagliato is a delightful cocktail, anytime, but many people consider them to be an aperitif or a pre-dinner cocktail. They would be perfect for serving guests at your next dinner party since they are easy to prepare and you can make them as each guest arrives. This cocktail pairs really well with salty appetizers like olives and prosciutto and rich foods like Italian dishes. 

What do you think? Are you going to be serving up some Negroni Sbagliato cocktails at your next happy hour gathering? The Negroni Sbagliato is a cocktail with character—bold, bubbly, and effortlessly elegant. Let’s make one, shall we?

Cheers to a mistake that turned into mixology magic!

What’s one of your favorite wine cocktails?

I actually recently made 5 new wine cocktails…the Call Me A Cab Wine Cocktail is still #1 on the site and is always going crazy on Pinterest though…which one of the wine cocktails pictured above would you try first?

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