Swap the Campari in your Negroni for Santoni and you don’t just change one ingredient. You end up with a different drink entirely: one that bartenders have taken to calling the Tuscan Negroni, and once you taste it, you’ll understand why the name stuck.
What Is Santoni Aperitivo?
Santoni Aperitivo comes from Chianciano Terme, a small Tuscan spa town in the hills near Siena, not far from where Brunello is made. Gabriello Santoni founded the distillery there in 1957, and the amaro itself is built from 34 botanicals, with rhubarb root, iris flower and olive leaf doing most of the talking.
Both ingredients have deep Florence roots: rhubarb has been sold in the city’s spice markets since the Renaissance, and the iris is Florence’s own civic symbol, which is also why it shows up on the bottle. At 16% ABV, Amaro Santoni sits well below Campari’s 24-28%, so it brings less heat and more floral sweetness to whatever it’s mixed into.
Santoni vs Campari in a Negroni
Campari is sharper, more bitter, and more assertively red. Santoni is softer and rounder, with the rhubarb and iris pushing more fruit and florals to the front and less of that aggressive bitterness on the back end. The result is a Negroni that’s easier to sip without losing the bones of the original. If you’ve ever found Campari’s bitterness a bit much, this is the version to hand someone. It’s not a lesser Negroni, just a different one, which is exactly why it earned its own name.
What You Need
The build stays true to the original Negroni’s equal-parts logic, you’re just changing one player:
- Gin – a classic London dry works best here. Something like Tanqueray keeps the botanicals clean and lets the amaro do its job.
- Santoni Aperitivo – no substitute if you want the real Tuscan Negroni. Amaro Montenegro or Select Aperitivo will get you into similar territory if that’s what’s on your shelf, but they’re their own drinks.
- Vermouth Rosso – a good sweet red vermouth (Carpano Antica or Cocchi di Torino both work well) rounds things out. Check my guide to stocking a home bar if you need a vermouth primer.
- Orange peel, for garnish.
Ways to Riff On It
Once you’ve got the base build down, there’s room to play:
- Negroni Rosa – swap the vermouth rosso for a rosé vermouth. Lighter, pinker, more floral. Here’s the full recipe.
- Santoni Spritz – if you want the same bottle in something lighter and lower-proof, the spritz build is the move, prosecco and soda instead of gin and vermouth.
- Other amaro riffs – if you’re comparing amaro-based Negronis more broadly, my Amaro Montenegroni and Select Aperitivo Negroni use the same equal-parts logic with different amari, worth trying side by side.
Serving It Aperitivo-Style
This is exactly the kind of drink Florence built its aperitivo hour around: something bitter-sweet enough to wake up your appetite before dinner, not knock you flat. Serve it well chilled, on the rocks, and put it next to salty, savory food that can stand up to it, think olives, cured meats, or a hard aged cheese.
FAQ
Is Amaro Santoni sweeter than Campari? Yes, and less aggressively bitter. Santoni’s floral, rhubarb-forward profile reads sweeter and softer than Campari’s sharper bitterness.
Can I make this with white vermouth instead? You can, but it changes the drink into more of a Bianco Negroni style, lighter in color and flavor. For the true Tuscan Negroni, stick with vermouth rosso.
Here is the recipe
Santoni Negroni
Ingredients
- 2 oz Santoni Aperitivo
- 2 oz red vermouth
- 2 oz gin
Instructions
- Pour Santoni, red vermouth and gin over ice
- Stir
- Add a slice of orange to garnish