The regular drinks nothing but Palomas, the journalist sticks to Martinis, the tourist runs on Spritz, and the influencer cares more about the glass than what’s in it. As for industry peers: “A bartender will always ask for a Daiquiri.” That’s according to Riccardo Rossi, the driving force behind Freni e Frizioni in Rome.
Years behind the bar make one thing clear: these types of guests are very real. So why not meet them head-on with a cocktail list that plays along? The result is Bar Stereotypes, a menu that riffs on exactly what each of them will inevitably order. Twelve new drinks, all worth trying — whether you resist the labels or embrace them with a bit of ease.
A Menu That Leans Into Bar Stereotypes
A few examples set the tone. There’s The Tourist, dedicated — unsurprisingly — to the visitor who, as the menu puts it, “thinks Italy means pizza, pasta and… Spritz. At home they drink whisky neat; here, it’s Spritz.” The drink blends prosecco, raspberries, elderflower liqueur, lemon sorbet and hard seltzer. Still a Spritz — just with more character.
Then there’s the die-hard barfly, the one who turns a night out into a marathon: starting at aperitivo, pushing through until late, and “closing with a high-proof pour after one rejection too many.” For them, Freni e Frizioni offers Last Man Standing, built on rye whiskey, rum, fortified wine and liqueur — something to face the inevitable: it’s time to go home.
The Nerd cocktail (rum and cachaça) speaks to newcomers to the bar scene who now lecture everyone else, drink only classics, and become punch masters at parties. The Colleague (rum and liqueurs) is for the guest who opens with “I do this job too”: plenty of talk, a round of signature tastings, and in the end, always a Daiquiri. And then there’s Disco Never Dies, vodka-based and unapologetically nostalgic — made for those still chasing brightly colored drinks, unchanged by shifting trends.
A Drink List That Knows How to Smile
“We’d had this menu in mind for a few years,” Rossi says, “but for one reason or another, we kept putting it off. We had fun sketching out these caricatures of different guests. Of course, we could have included many more, but the list had to stop at twelve, so we made our selection.”
He continues: “I like watching the room from behind the bar, and you start to notice patterns—similar behaviors, similar tastes. Bartenders, for instance, will always ask for a Daiquiri, so we built a twist on the Nuclear Daiquiri — something a bit less obvious. We also have regulars who, since the Paloma boom, drink nothing else. And we know plenty of Martini drinkers: some like it bone-dry, others softer, so we offer two versions depending on preference.”
Which Stereotype Is Riccardo Rossi?
Rossi doesn’t shy away from turning the lens on himself. “I guess I am a ‘colleague,’ though I don’t order Daiquiris that often — not because I don’t like them, but because with me, this cocktail disappears fast. Sometimes I’m the ‘curious’ type, especially in bars I really respect — I’ll go for something more unusual from the list. Other times I’m the ‘boss’s friend’: I end up keeping it simple with a Gin & Tonic. And occasionally, I’m the ‘last man standing’ — the one who stays until closing and trades sours and highballs for something stronger.”
Photo courtesy Freni e Frizioni
