This Negroni Week, Mill Place Merchants invites guests to step back in time with a month-long celebration of the world’s most iconic apertif. From September 22 to 28, the beloved CBD speakeasy will transform into a temple of cocktail history, showcasing six legendary drinks that trace the story of the Negroni; from its Italian beginnings in the 1800s to its place today as a global classic.
Guests are invited to sip their way through the ages with a curated menu of historic cocktails, each carefully crafted by Mill Place’s legendary mixologists to honour the bartenders, bars and cultural moments that shaped the Negroni legacy.
Six Cocktails Through Time
- Milano Torino (1860s) — The original classic, created at Caffè Camparino in Milan, marrying Campari from Milan with sweet vermouth from Turin. The drink that sparked it all.
- Americano (1860s) — First served at Gaspare Campari’s own bar in Milan, this refreshing mix of Campari, sweet vermouth and soda water became a favourite among American tourists.
- Negroni (1919) — The iconic invention of Count Camillo Negroni, who asked bartender Fosco Scarselli to replace soda water with gin. A timeless balance of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth.
- Old Pal (1920s) — A drier, spicier twist created by Harry MacElhone at Harry’s New York Bar, swapping in rye whiskey and dry vermouth for a leaner edge.
- Boulevardier (1920s) — Another Harry MacElhone masterpiece, created for Erskine Gwynne, publisher of The Boulevardier magazine, blending bourbon, Campari and sweet vermouth.
- Cardinale (1950s) — Invented in Rome by Giovanni Raimondo to honour visiting Cardinal Spellman of New York. A sophisticated, fruity spin of gin, Campari, dry vermouth, Riesling and peach bitters.
Nestled off Flinders Lane in a three-storey heritage building that once housed candle, hat, soap and meat preserving merchants in the 1840s, Mill Place Merchants is a sanctuary of old-world charm. The venue is renowned for prohibition-era inspired dishes, carefully designed to complement the bar’s cocktail craftsmanship. Guests can enjoy charcuterie boards, Chicken Liver Pâté, or Ray’s Pork & Pistachio Terrine for a hearty pairing.
Mill Place Merchants
Ground Floor, 2 Mill Place, Melbourne VIC 3000
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