Roman Cooler

Try to keep this drink as Italian as possible if you can. Make the sweet vermouth a Cocchi di Torino or Carpano Antica, or even Martini & Rossi. The sparkling water has to be San Pellegrino. The Italianness of this drink is the important selling feature.

Punt E Mes is the main feature of this bitter sparkling cocktail. It is an especially bitter herbal sweet vermouth from Torino. An ounce of it floods the drink with flavor and color. In terms of bitterness, Punt E Mes is not as intense as Campari, but it beats out most other sweet vermouths, even Carpano Antica. This is the only drink in the New York Bartender's Guide of the 90s that calls for this vermouth specifically and that is extremely unusual when you consider how vermouth-adverse the 90s were.

• 2 oz. gin (London dry recommended)
• 1 oz. Punt E Mes
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sugar syrup
• 1/2 tsp. sweet vermouth (Cocchi di Torino used)
• sparkling water (San Pellegrino
• orange twist

Combine gin, vermouths, sugar and lemon juice in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a highball glass full of fresh ice. Top with sparkling water and stir gently. Garnish with the orange twist.