Espresso Romano (Roman espresso) is espresso with a twist of lemon zest and a little lemon juice. Awkwardly, it is actually not done in Rome (or Italy) at all. I asked several of my Italian friends from various parts of Italy and none of them had ever heard of it. The closest thing I found in Italy was moretta fanese which is a coffee based drink that features the lemon twist but aso anise, rum, and brandy. There is a similar drink in Spain called café del tiempo that also includes lemon but is iced rather than hot. Long story short, the origins are disputed, but the beverage is delicious.

Espresso Romano

Ingredients

2 shots of espresso

1 limon

1 tsp sugar

Process

Combine sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice in the demitasse and stir to combine. Add espresso and stir gently to combine. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel. Enjoy immediately.