For readers who want to shake this one up themselves, I've already done the homework: here's the full list of ingredients, bottle by bottle. Now, the story behind the glass.
The Americano was born in Gaspare Campari's café in Milan in the 1860s, under the original name "Milano-Torino", a nod to its two ingredients: Campari from Milan and vermouth from Turin. During the early 20th century the drink became a favorite of American tourists and Prohibition refugees flocking to Italy in search of a legal, civilized drink, and Italian bartenders began calling it "all'Americana" in their honor until the nickname stuck.
The Americano later crashed into pop culture thanks to Ian Fleming: it is the very first cocktail James Bond orders in the novel Casino Royale, before he upgrades to his famous Vesper. Simple as it is, it remains the archetype of the Italian aperitivo.
If the story has tempted you to try this cocktail at home, don't underestimate the role of equipment. A complete barman kit like this one on Amazon gives you all the basic professional tools in one go. And for a more ambitious setup, a professional cocktail bar station is the piece of furniture that takes home bartending to the next level.