The Rome Index
Cocktails & drinks in Rome
What Romans drink, what everything is called, and the bars worth going to.
The Roman aperitivo cocktail
Spritz (Aperol or Campari with prosecco and soda) is the dominant aperitivo order across Italy and Rome. Negroni (gin, Campari, sweet vermouth) is the sophisticated alternative — invented in Florence but embraced everywhere. Negroni Sbagliato substitutes prosecco for gin, making something lighter and more accessible.
Vermouth
Martini Rosso, Cinzano and Punt e Mes are the mainstream Italian vermouths; a number of Rome bars now offer more craft-oriented selections. Served over ice with a slice of orange — a pre-dinner drink in its own right rather than only a cocktail ingredient.
Wine by the glass
House wine (vino della casa) served in a carafe at most trattorias is typically a perfectly good local Lazio white or red at a very low price — nothing to be embarrassed about ordering, and often what the locals at the next table are drinking.
Local versus international spirit brands
Several small Italian distilleries now produce artisanal amari, vermouths and gins specifically gaining traction in Rome's better cocktail bars — asking a bartender for a locally distilled option, rather than defaulting to internationally famous brands, often produces a more distinctive drink.
The classic Roman spritz variation
While Aperol spritz is internationally ubiquitous, ordering a Select spritz (using a Venetian bitter with a different, more herbaceous flavour profile) or a Campari spritz (more bitter and complex) offers genuine variation for visitors who've already tried the standard Aperol version elsewhere.
