{"id":9274,"date":"2020-01-10T15:13:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-10T14:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rickzullo.com\/?p=9274"},"modified":"2020-01-08T22:32:39","modified_gmt":"2020-01-08T21:32:39","slug":"cocktail-culture-in-italy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/cocktail-culture-in-italy\/","title":{"rendered":"Cocktail Culture in Italy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe delightful sound of the clink of ice in a glass<\/em>.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n

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So begins a recent post by my friend Gillian Maguire, and right away my attention piqued. Not unlike Pavlov\u2019s dog, I simply cannot resist this sirens\u2019 call to Happy Hour in Rome<\/a> (or anywhere else, for that matter).<\/p>\n

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For those of us enamored by cocktail culture in general, it\u2019s not just the drinks or the clink of ice. It\u2019s the background chatter, the stir of the crowd, the smell of the bar (for better or worse), the mood lighting that\u2019s just so. The entire vibe; an ambiance, and every watering hole is unique in its way.<\/strong> And Rome certainly has no shortage of these charming venues to indulge our fantasies.<\/p>\n

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What\u2019s more, the particular cocktail culture in Italy is alluring to the tourist or expat for so many reasons. It is at once simple yet complex. There are unfamiliar rituals, strange potions that you\u2019ve never seen before, and brand names that you can\u2019t pronounce. You must be privy to a few \u201csecrets\u201d if you want to do it correctly.<\/strong> That\u2019s where Gillian comes in. <\/p>\n

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Gillian and I are kindred \u201cspirits.\u201d (Ha! That just came out, I swear.) Once, while on a blog tour, we teamed up with a few other bloggers at a poolside bar in Sicily, where we proceeded to exhaust the entire wine cellar of our host. Our wine-addled conversation can be heard on Episode 30 of my podcast<\/a>. <\/p>\n

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Besides wine, she loves an obscure gin served in a pretty glass just as much a Campari spritz at her local bar. Bookmark this guide to cocktails in Rome<\/strong>, courtesy of Gillian Maguire, of Gillian\u2019s Lists<\/a>. You could throw a proverbial dart at this list, and wherever it lands, you will not go wrong.<\/p>\n

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The iconic Harry’s Bar<\/em> in Rome. Just because…<\/p>\n

\u200bCocktail Culture in Italy<\/h2>\n

If a piazza view is what you are after then it\u2019s easy, says Gillian. Pick any bustling piazza, find a caf\u00e9 with a place to sit, and order something simple like a Spritz or a Negroni. You will almost always get a small plate of snacks to go with your drink (it\u2019s barbaric to drink on an empty stomach, after all). Her favorite piazzas for cocktails are Piazza Madonna dei Monti<\/em> and Piazza Farnese<\/em>. <\/strong>Great people watching.<\/p>\n

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But when she wants a more dramatic view, or an upgraded snack, or a really fancy cocktail, this is where she goes (and her photos to help guide your imagination):<\/p>\n

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Since she doesn\u2019t have a terrace or much of a view from her house when she wants a glimpse of the Forum or the Colosseum she heads a few doors down to the @hotelforumroma<\/a>. The space is a little small, so get here early if you want to catch the sunset<\/strong>. It\u2019s an irresistible old-fashioned Roman vibe.<\/p>\n

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You will literally gasp when the elevator doors open at @secretviewroma<\/a>The view over Trajan\u2019s Forum & Column is extraordinary<\/strong>. The drinks are creative and the small plates refined. Call ahead for the best spots next to the church domes.<\/p>\n

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\u200bThe art deco lobby at @bettoja_hotel_rom<\/a>a is divine. Go all the way to the back where you will find the alabaster topped Bar 21.<\/p>\n

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@baccanoroma<\/a> is just around the corner from the Fontana di Trevi. There is a long bar to sit at, an ever changing menu of cocktails, and one of the best hamburgers in Rome<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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@zumarome<\/a> is a very stylish place which makes perfect sense since it is on top of the Palazzo @fendi<\/a> near the Spanish Steps and Via del Corso. The inspired cocktails have an Asian flair<\/strong> and the Japanese small plates are superb.<\/p>\n

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Stop in at the long bar at @vytaenotecalazio<\/a> after the long walk of you Christmas shopping, or on a hot summer afternoon. The snacks include delicious things like cheese and cured meat that are all sourced locally in Lazio.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Sunset view of Il Vittoriano<\/p>\n

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Spritz Campari!<\/p>\n

Pro Tip: pack a few @niococktail<\/a> in your carry-on and you can have a perfectly mixed drink on your next flight or train trip.<\/p>\n

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Two final pieces of advice: Ask for your drink senza cannuccia (without a straw), and when in doubt, always order a Negroni<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Gillian Maguire<\/h3>\n

Yes, my friends, #gillianknowsbest with regards to aperitivo, the slightly more sophisticated Italian version of Happy Hour. When in Rome, don\u2019t hesitate to look her up at Gillian’s Lists<\/strong><\/a> to make the best of your time in The Eternal City. She even offers trip planning services over a cocktail <\/strong>(or coffee, if you prefer). <\/p>\n

\"http:\/\/www.gillianslists.com\/p\/i-have-lived-in-rome-for-15-years-as-of.html\"<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe delightful sound of the clink of ice in a glass.\u201d So begins a recent post by my friend Gillian Maguire, and right away my attention piqued. Not unlike Pavlov\u2019s dog, I simply cannot resist this sirens\u2019 call to Happy Hour in Rome (or anywhere else, for that matter). For those of us enamored by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9275,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[40,41,14],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9274"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9274"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9274\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}