Among Rome’s most stylish luxury hotels, W Rome has become a destination not only for travelers but also for cocktail enthusiasts. Renowned for its modern approach to luxury, the hotel regularly hosts guest events featuring some of Italy’s finest bars and bartenders, making it one of the city’s most exciting venues for cocktail culture.

One such evening recently placed the spotlight on Leta, an Italian premium non-alcoholic aperitivo, celebrating a new generation of mindful drinking through a one-night-only guest event.

Leading the guest shift was the team from La Ménagère Roma, one of Rome’s most acclaimed restaurant-cocktail destinations, headed by bar manager Flavio Feola. 

Throughout the evening, they presented an imaginative cocktail menu built around Leta, expressing both the culinary traditions of Rome and the diverse flavors of Italy through carefully crafted drinks.

Having tasted countless non-alcoholic cocktails over the years, I can honestly say that few have challenged my perception of “non-alcoholic” as profoundly as this experience. These weren’t sweet juice substitutes, nor were they imitations of alcoholic classics. Instead, they represented something entirely different, a new aperitivo culture where choosing not to drink alcohol is not a compromise, but a pleasure in itself.

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A New Way to Enjoy the Aperitivo

When people think of Italy, wine is often the first thing that comes to mind. Wine accompanies lunch, dinner, and countless social occasions. Yet in recent years, the cocktail scenes in cities like Rome and Milan have begun embracing a noticeable shift.

Low-ABV cocktails and completely alcohol-free drinks are no longer niche alternatives, they have become an integral part of contemporary Italian drinking culture.

Driven by growing interest in health and wellness, alongside concepts such as Mindful Drinking and Sober Curiosity, people are rethinking their relationship with alcohol.

Not long ago, ordering a non-alcoholic drink usually came with an explanation: driving, pregnancy, or simply avoiding alcohol for the evening. 

Today, however, more people are choosing alcohol-free cocktails because they genuinely enjoy the taste or appreciate how well they pair with food. Rather than being a restriction, it has become another natural option that fits different moods and lifestyles.

Leta perfectly embodies this changing mindset.

Created by Antonio Galetta from Italy’s southern region of Puglia, Leta was born from a simple ambition, to create a sophisticated bitter aperitivo that just happens to contain no alcohol.

The inspiration was surprisingly straightforward.

Antonio found many non-alcoholic beverages on the market overwhelmingly sweet. While sweetness works well for soft drinks, it rarely delivers the pleasant bitterness and appetite-stimulating character expected from a true aperitivo.

“If it doesn’t exist,” he thought, “I’ll create the drink I actually want to enjoy.”

That philosophy became Leta.

Rather than serving as an imitation of alcohol, Leta was designed as a drink in its own right, one that values botanical complexity, elegant bitterness, and harmony with food.

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Capturing the Mediterranean in a Glass

Leta’s greatest strength lies in its carefully selected botanicals, each inspired by the landscapes of Southern Italy.

Its key ingredients include olive oil, bitter mandarin, rosemary, thyme, dandelion, honey, and a subtle touch of chili pepper. Together, they create layers of herbal aromas and gentle bitterness that naturally complement food.

Fresh rosemary and thyme greet the nose first, followed by the refined citrus bitterness of bitter mandarin. On the palate, dandelion delivers a lingering, elegant bitterness, while olive oil contributes an unexpectedly smooth, rounded texture. A delicate hint of chili quietly lifts the finish, not enough to create heat, but just enough to leave a subtle lingering warmth.

Leta’s official recipes showcase just how versatile the aperitivo can be.

Leta Spritz: 40ml of Leta topped with tonic water, served over plenty of ice with a single olive. Those seeking an alcoholic version can simply replace the tonic with Prosecco for a lighter take on the classic spritz.

Leta Americano: combines Leta with soda water and a lemon peel garnish. With so few ingredients, the drink allows Leta’s herbal complexity and refined bitterness to shine, making it an ideal aperitivo.

Leta Paloma: mixes Leta with grapefruit soda, finished with flaky sea salt and either orange or grapefruit. The balance of citrus and saltiness evokes the freshness of the Mediterranean coast.

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La Ménagère × Leta

The evening’s guest bartenders came from La Ménagère Roma, one of Rome’s most celebrated restaurant and cocktail destinations.

Originally founded in Florence, La Ménagère is known for blurring the boundaries between restaurant and cocktail bar, creating an immersive gastronomic experience where food and drinks are developed together. Since opening in Rome, it has become equally renowned for both its cuisine and its innovative cocktail program.

Behind the bar was Flavio Feola, whose four original cocktails demonstrated how Leta could become a vehicle for storytelling. Each drink expressed not only ingredients, but also place, culture, and culinary heritage.

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ANNAMO

Leta, Gin, Dry Vermouth, Roman-style Artichoke Foam

ANNAMO is a twist on the classic Cardinale cocktail, originally created just steps away at The Westin Excelsior Rome on Via Veneto. Built on a base of Leta, it is combined with gin and dry vermouth, then finished with a delicate foam inspired by Roman-style artichokes.

The aroma begins with the delicate bitterness of the artichoke before the botanicals of the gin and vermouth emerge. Soon afterward, Leta’s own Mediterranean herbs, olive, rosemary, and thyme, interweave seamlessly with the other ingredients, creating a cocktail that feels entirely original.

The inspiration comes from Carciofi alla Romana, one of Rome’s most beloved traditional dishes, in which artichokes are gently braised with olive oil, herbs, and mint. A cherished sign of spring throughout the city, the dish has become an icon of Roman home cooking.

Transforming this classic recipe into a cocktail through the use of foam is an inspired concept.

It feels as though a piece of Rome itself has been captured inside the glass.

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SCIAMU

Leta, Tarallo, Rustic Tomato, Burrata Cheese

SCIAMU combines Leta with ingredients that read more like a culinary recipe than a cocktail specification: traditional Puglian tarallo, ripe tomatoes, and creamy burrata.

The intention becomes immediately clear upon tasting.

Tarallo, the iconic ring-shaped baked snack made with flour, olive oil, and white wine, has long accompanied aperitivo hour throughout Puglia.

The sweetness and acidity of ripe tomatoes blend beautifully with the rich creaminess of burrata, while the toasted flavor of tarallo provides gentle texture and depth.

Leta ties everything together with its herbal freshness and lingering bitterness, unifying the ingredients into a remarkably balanced cocktail that tastes almost like a Mediterranean dish transformed into liquid form.

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LET’S GO

Leta, Jamaican Rum, Vanilla, Brown Butter, Blueberries, Chocolate

LET’S GO approaches the cocktail almost as if a pastry chef were constructing a dessert.

Leta and Jamaican rum provide the foundation, layered with vanilla, brown butter, blueberries, and chocolate.

Although the ingredient list suggests something rich and sweet, the finished cocktail is surprisingly elegant.

The aromatic depth of Jamaican rum anchors the drink, while vanilla softens the profile. Brown butter contributes warm nuttiness, blueberries offer subtle acidity, and chocolate adds richness without becoming overpowering.

Leta’s herbal freshness and gentle bitterness prevent the cocktail from ever feeling heavy, leaving an unexpectedly clean and refined finish.

It is the kind of drink that feels perfectly suited to conclude a multi-course dining experience.

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LETA SPRITZ

The Purest Expression of Leta

The evening also featured Leta’s signature serve: the Leta Spritz.

Its preparation could hardly be simpler.

Leta Aperitivo Analcolico is topped with tonic water, served over generous ice, and finished with a single olive.

That simplicity allows Leta itself to take center stage.

If no one mentioned it was alcohol-free, many guests might never realize it. The drink possesses remarkable depth and complexity, demonstrating precisely what Leta set out to create: a sophisticated non-alcoholic aperitivo designed for adults.

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Every Cocktail Begins with a Vision

Perhaps the evening’s most memorable takeaway was not simply the cocktails themselves, but the philosophy behind them. As Flavio Feola puts it,

“Behind every cocktail, there is a vision.”

For Flavio, cocktails are far more than drinks.

Each glass reflects the identity of a place, its culture, seasonal ingredients, and the stories that surround them.

When developing a recipe, his first questions are never simply, “Is it delicious?” or “Is it beautiful?”

Instead, he asks, Why this ingredient? Why this combination?

Every decision has meaning. Every cocktail tells a story.

As a result, guests experience not only exceptional flavors but also a deeper connection to the landscapes, traditions, and people that inspired each creation.

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The Beginning of a New Aperitivo Culture

Choosing a non-alcoholic drink is no longer about sacrificing the experience of drinking.

It is becoming part of a new cultural landscape.

Leta is not designed as a substitute for alcohol.

It is an aperitivo in its own right, one that celebrates herbal complexity, refined bitterness, harmony with food, and the freedom to choose according to one’s mood.

In many ways, it represents the next chapter of Italy’s aperitivo culture.

And judging by evenings like this at W Rome, that future has already begun.

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