Gambito Bar is the first Speakeasy bar in Rio Grande do Sul, in the south of Brazil. Renowned for its distinctive atmosphere and emphasis on sophisticated cocktails, the bar has introduced its bottled version of the Negroni as a natural extension of its commitment to delivering high-quality and exclusive experiences.

This bottled Negroni represents the bar’s desire to share its cocktail expertise with those who appreciate a refined drink experience beyond the bar setting. With carefully selected ingredients, precise craftsmanship, and the ability to enjoy the drink at home without compromising its signature sophistication and flavor, this version stands out as a unique expression of the bar’s identity.

Imagine if this drink were embodied as a woman.
Powerful. Mysterious. Elegant.

Naturally, she would be a queen. Given Negroni’s surprising roots in Africa, it becomes clear that she would be a Black Queen, juxtaposed with the White Queen featured in the Gambito Bar logo. In colonial Africa in the 19th century, queens were often perceived as sorceresses.
Through a brief narrative, the story of Gambito’s Negroni takes us back to the city of Saint Louis in French-occupied Senegal. At that time, Italian General Pascal Oliver (Count of Negroni) created a vermouth-based cocktail he served at the officers’ club in Lunéville.

The Black Queen as a powerful sorceress reinforces the prominence of African women, celebrating feminine power in a way that aligns with the Gambito Bar’s overarching brand identity. This narrative unfolds with subtle authority, utilizing symbols that intricately tie the drink’s creation to the bar’s thematic essence.

The expansive concept plays with the unexpected, positioning Africa as the birthplace of a drink commonly associated with Italy. Combining semiotics and storytelling connects the beverage to the bar’s ethos, establishing a distinct and exclusive presence in the bottled cocktail market. From the packaging design to the brand’s tone of voice, from the storytelling to the flavor profile, the product delivers an element of surprise.

“An immortal drink within a bottled spell.”

By adopting a distinctive tone of voice and elevating the role of the African woman in a traditional Italian cocktail, the Black Queen Negroni masterfully blends design elements that embody the allure of a “bottled spell.”
From the careful selection of attire and symbols of magic to botanical references and rich colors (green and gold), the design highlights the strength of the African Queen in contrast to European royalty.

The eye symbol on the bottle cap, representing the Queen’s (blind) vision, releases the bottled spell upon opening, enhancing the drinker’s experience (creating a memorable touchpoint).

The typography, selected for its legibility and classic European style, complements the overall design.

The packaging artfully juxtaposes the powerful image of the Black Queen against conventional Negroni bottle expectations, evoking curiosity and desire.

Sit down, relax, and put on some music. (” Put a Spell on You” by Nina Simone), and enjoy the story.

I’m sorry to disappoint you, but everything suggests that Count Negroni is just the alter ego of the Italian General Pascal Oliver, who served in the French colony of Saint Louis, West Africa, in the 19th century.

Yes, the story of the cocktail with vermouth was born from a spell in Senegal. A military man passionate about strategy and dedicated to victory, General Oliver succumbed with heart and soul to the deep gaze of Queen Bijou Wolof, a local sorceress who, with a breath, gave eternal life to “Count Negroni.”

One afternoon, during a chess game with the black queen, annihilated by a checkmate in just 5 minutes, General Oliver furiously overturned the board. Queen Bijou repositioned her black pieces, making the white army disappear, transforming pawns, knights, rooks, bishops, and European royalty into botanicals, herbs, and seeds. “Don’t try to play with women,” whispered the black and shimmering queen before disappearing.

Years later, back in Florence, leaning against the counter of the Casoni Bar, Negroni handed a recipe to the bartender. He said enigmatically that gin should replace the soda water of the “Americano” because some lost battles deserved stronger solutions.

Negroni remains alive, with bitter, vermouth, gin, and ice, for over 100 years, in bars all over the planet and now here, in this bottled spell by Gambito Bar.