In Italy, some bar counters still carry a set of soft drinks unknown outside of the Belpaese, sodas that shaped merende and afternoons of many, especially in the long-gone boom years: bright lemon, bitter citrus, caramel-amber spuma, and tiny bottles of Crodino all come to mind. They were the taste of a new, faster country – easy to grab, easy to share – and they read as “grown-up” drinks thanks to their bitterness and herbal notes. It is, indeed, this very profile that made them popular among a whole new set of drinkers, as it fits today’s no/low-alcohol mood, which asks for flavor without the buzz.
Here, we present five classic Italian sodas known for their ubiquitous nostalgia factor (raise your hand if you are a Gen-Xer or a Xennial and loved chinotto as a kid!) but also for how they have been successfully riding today’s “live cleaner” trends, one drink and a slice of lemon at a time!
