Rome With a View

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Cocktail History

The Rome With a View is a modern cocktail that was created by Michael McIlroy at Attaboy in New York City, New York. Meant to be a cross between an Americano and a Collins template, it mixes the bittersweet Italian liqueur Campari with vermouth similar to the former and adds in the tart citrus, simple syrup, and soda water of the latter to create one of the more palatable Campari drinks out there.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Campari: This is a liqueur made in Italy with a blend of gentian root, herbs, spices, and citrus, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a bold, bitter orange flavor.

Dry Vermouth: This is a type of wine made with white wine and a blend of herbs and botanicals, which are fermented, fortified with a neutral spirit, and then lightly sweetened to develop a crisp, aromatic flavor.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe limes that has a zesty, sour flavor and light green color.

Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. I made mine using this stovetop recipe.

Soda Water: This is a carbonated beverage made with water and dissolved carbon dioxide gas, which gives it a fizzy, neutral flavor.

Orange Slice: This is a slice of orange that has been cut into a half wheel shape.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice ingredients. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Vibrant orange-red hue with an ombré effect

• Aroma: Heavy orange

• Taste: Slight citrus-forward flavor mixed with herbal vermouth, citrus, and Campari notes

• Finish: Brief bitterness that melts into more orange

Kendall’s Take: “Folks, I think I did it. I found a Campari-forward drink that I actually enjoyed quite a lot. Unlike most recipes made with the Italian liqueur, the Campari isn’t immediately bracing at the beginning of the sip; its bitterness only really comes through near the swallow. I think the addition of citrus is what makes the difference for this fairly common template. The tartness cuts right through the gentian root and makes for one refreshing patio drink. I might just make the Rome With a View again to get myself more used to Campari!”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.