Hello friends, apologies for the long break between posts. My father passed away at the end of last month and getting regular posts out suddenly didn’t seem so important. However, I wanted to close out Witness for The Prosecution as planned. There is also a link, albeit tenuous between Witness for the Prosecution and my dad. So if there was ever going to be a right time to honour him, this was it. We’ll get there but for the moment, let’s focus on the Negroni Sbagliato.
Sbagliato…Say What?
In 1972, Milanese bartender Mauritio Stocchetto accidentally reached for prosecco instead of gin while creating a negroni, thus inventing the “sbagliato”. The word means “mistaken” in Italian – pronounced Spah-li-art-toe.. Bar Basso, the scene of this mishap is still open and of course, Negroni Sbagliato’s are still on the menu!
The main flavours in the drink are bitter from the Campari and sweet from the Vermouth. I think this fits well with the tone of the story.
Negroni Sbagliato – The Recipe
PrintNegroni Sbagliato
A bittersweet cocktail, perfect to accompany watching Witness for the Prosecution
Ingredients
- 25ml Campari
- 25ml sweet vermouth
- Prosecco to fill glass
- Orange twist to garnish
Instructions
- Add the campari and vermouth to a mixing glass full of ice. Stir to chill.
- Strain into your drinking glass.
- Top with Prosecco.
- Garnish with an orange twist
Witness for The Proscecution – The Film (Spoilers Galore)
ilmed in 1957, Witness for the Prosecution starred Tyrone Power as Leonard, Marlene Dietrich as his wife, and Charles Laughton as his lawyer.
The film’s ending dramatically differs from the book. In the book, Christine confesses she knew about the murder and lied to protect Leonard. The filmmakers, however, thought audiences in the 1950s wouldn’t accept a murderer going free. So, the film takes a darker turn: Christine kills Leonard upon learning he’ll leave her for another woman despite her sacrifice.
Some great advertising and images from the film, above. They certainly play up the suspense and the glamour couple of Power and Dietrich!
My Personal Link to Witness for the Prosecution
My father was named Tyrone, after Tyrone Power. We all think my nana must have had quite the crush on Tyrone Power! And, as you will see from the posters above, Tyrone Power was one of the stars of the 1957 version of Witness for the Prosecution.
Today would have been my dad’s 83rd birthday so it seemed like the right time to honour his passing. I don’t know when I will feel up to getting back to a regular posting schedule. I’m still finding it hard to wake up and not spend the first hour of my day crying. So my posts may be a bit erratic in the coming weeks. I’ll do what I can when I can. Starting with this one.
These are my two favourite photos of my dad, and, I know I am biased but I think, maybe my nana named him right because he was kind of movie star handsome when he was a young man! The first is him, maybe in his late teens or very early twenties. He was so proud to have been an excellent rugby player and even played for Sri Lanka, (then Ceylon) in a match against India. In this picture he is wearing one of his beloved team jerseys.
This next one is me and him on holiday. I can’t remember even remember where but it looks pretty cold! Incidentally, my name, Taryn is the feminine version of Tyrone and is also the name of one of Tyrone Power’s daughters.
My ask of you? If you decide to watch Witness for the Prosecution with a Negroni Sbagliatio in hand (and I really think you should do this) maybe raise a little toast to the lesser known Tyrone as well as the more famous.
Have a great week, I’ll be back when I can.
