It’s Negroni Week from 21-27 September 2026, a global celebration of one of the world’s most iconic cocktails, with the Dirty Negroni stealing the spotlight this year.

Negroni Week brings together bars, brands and cocktail enthusiasts to celebrate the Negroni and its many variations, while supporting charitable causes around the globe.

The classic Negroni was invented in 1919 at Caffè Casoni in Florence, Italy, when Count Camillo Negroni asked his bartender, Fosco Scarselli, to strengthen an Americano by swapping soda water for gin.

Renowned for its distinctive balance of bitter, sweet and dry flavours, the Negroni has inspired countless interpretations and modern twists over the years. But have you tried a Dirty Negroni?

Its origins are a little murkier, but it started popping up on cocktail lists globally around two years ago.

As The Daily Meal notes: “If you’ve ever had olives prepared with orange zest and spices, you may be able to imagine how well the flavors of citrusy Campari, botanical-infused gin, and spicy vermouth pair with brininess. Salt and bitterness also have a unique relationship, in that the former mutes the latter. And since salt always enhances flavor, the nuances of the classic Negroni that may otherwise be more subtle beneath its bitterness get a chance to really pop in the dirty version.”

Just like the original, the Dirty Negroni has numerous iterations. In its simplest form it’s made by mixing 25ml of Campari with 25ml of gin, 25ml of Rosso Sweet Vermouth and 25ml to 50ml of olive brine.

Campari has partnered with Perelló Olives to create its version of the Dirty Negroni for London’s Negroni Week celebrations, serving it at six dedicated Negroni Lounges across the city throughout September.

Creative mixologist such as Travis Tober from Murray’s Tavern in Austin, Texas, have also experimented with olive oil–infused gin and a few dashes of olive bitters.

As Tober told Punch: “I love classic cocktails, I think they’re fantastic, but I think we should have fun with them. Like, ‘Hey, I like dirty Martinis and I like Negronis, and I think they should be together.’”