The Chinotto soft drink
Aug
2006
2006
22
Next time you are visiting Italy and are ready to order your favorite pizza, ask for a Chinotto instead of the usual Coke. Chinotto is a natural citrus and herbal beverage with a unique taste. It is one of Italy’s traditional soft drinks. Thanks to a collaboration with Nestle’, you may be able to find the Chinotto San Pellegrino brand in your local Italian food store too. My impression is that this is a beverage that you either love at first taste, or hate it. What do you think of Chinotto?
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The Pizza Highball « The Five O'Clock Cocktail Blog
[...] with pizza!” According to my rudimentary Googling, chinotto is a type of cola found in Italy, while Brio is ...
Oh Chinotto.. I hate it! The first time I tried it, I almost spat it out again.. horrible taste (especially if you expect something like a coke)
But my boyfriend loves it (he's Italian, maybe that explains it
Chinotto? That is also called Brio, yes? I LOVE Brio!!! And I am not Italian. I have been drinking Brio since I was a teen, back in the '60's. Came to Canada, imported back then, in glass bottles. Now, I can only rarely find Brio by the case and in a tin. I crave the bottled Brio.
Ahhhh….Brio with pizza and Italian wine with spaghetti….can life get any better?
Chinotto tastes like rootbeer (which I hate, but some people love).
Chinotto is the beverage. Brio is a Canadian company that makes it (and sells it only in Canada, I believe. So you get "Brio Chinotto", kinda like "Pepsi Cola"
I didn't care for it much when I first tried it either. It tastes like it has herbs in it. But it really grew on ma and I love it now. You can get it at Pizza Pizza and I always get a few cans when I order from them.
I've never had any other brands of Chinotto, but apparently Brio is pretty good and even Canadian-Italians bring it back to Italy with them because it's developing a cult following over there.
Great!
I love Chinotto, something you don't find easily abroad.
Chinotto reminds me of long summers in Cagliari, my home town, my aunt was giving me bottles of Chinotto…
From my first sip of Chinotto at Sun Peaks Ski Resort near Kamloops, British Columbia, I absolutely was addicted. The fresh slightly bitter taste is so satisfying. The rest of my family won't touch it – all the more for me.
God! I haven't drunk Chinotto since 1987 probably. But as an Italian, let me tell you that I have never seen anyone drink Chinotto when eating pizza – not even when I was a kid, it was either Coke or Fanta. Sounds odd to me…I like Chinotto but i wouldnt drink it with pizza.
Anyway pizza and 66cl Moretti beer is the winning combo folks.
Where in the US can I get Chinotto? I use to live in Italy and I LOVED it!! HELP me!
Chinotto is one of those things that most have never heard of.Its just a bitter sweet orange,the drink althou adds a few herbs for that extra bite.I live in methuen, MA a town with its own
italian charm and FOOD,realy good food.I get my chinotto at my locol gelato bar,talk about spoiled…hehehehe
My chinotto story is as follows.
First had in Toronto as a kid and hated it the stuff.
Last couple summers I lived there I tried a few Brios at the local Italian corner store and it grew on me. I also felt special as if I was some sort of pop connoisseur.
The distinct taste was embedded with blazing hot humid Toronto summer days on King, Bathurst, etc.
Then I moved out to London England and struggled to find it. I found it in a couple off the beaten track Italian grocery shops or delis, but its rare and unappreciated here.
The odd time I have been to Italy I down it like bottled water and will easily pay the premium price over regular pop for it anywhere I am.
Right now I get it off my local deli in City, London at lunch, where being the only one who asks for the stuff, I have become an honarary Italian with the boys behind the counter!
I have always loved Chinotto from the first time i tried it. It just doesn't seem to be as syrupy as cola. Anyway a lot of the major grocery stores in larger Canadian city's are carrying it. For example Zehrs, Superstore, Loblaws. It can be found in the pop isle but is only sold in 1L plastic bottles. Happy Hunting and enjoy! I know I do!
I love Chinotto…I find Brio to be a little milder than the San Pellegrino variety that is just starting to appear at Loeb stores. No Frills carries a 6-pack of glass-bottled chinotto but I don't recognise its brand name. And of course, Fortino's grocery stores in Toronto carry it by the case…last time I bought some it was $10.99 for a case of 24.
My family has always had a case of Brio in the cantina (cellar)–am I revealing how Italian I am? I prefer it to Coca Cola or Pepsi because it's not too sweet. It's also SUPER as a mixer with amaretto.
I agree that it's a love-it-or-leave-it drink. My university housemates all hated it, my friends hate it, and my boyfriend makes fun of me for drinking it. My family and I all love it and get overly excited when we see it sold in non-Italian stores.
I've had both Brio and San Pellegrino chinottos. I like both. Brio is a little bit milder tasting, but the containers sold are typical American soft drink size. You can also get it in 1-liter plastic bottles. On the other hand, the only San Pellegrino chinotto I've had comes in a bottle half the size of Brio and is a tiny bit stronger tasting. Unfortunately, I've never seen Brio in the US, only in Canada.
you can find San Pelligrino Chinotto an other fine Italian goods at http://www.ditalia.com.
Hi.. Let me tell you My own story. Back in the 60's when i was a kid, in Habana, Cuba. I used to go to a local chinese grocery store, where the chinese owners will prepare their own soft drinks and icecream.They made Chinotto, although that was not its name, i don't know what they call it. And only when a emigrated to Canada i tasted it again in the brand Brio. After searching for the origin of the drink, I find that the chinotto tree is of chinese origin, brought to Italy, so it may be that the italians brought it to make the drink as the chinese did. As they did with the pasta and the gunpowder,silk,ink,cannon,etc.
OMG CHINOTTO IS DA BOMB!!!! its basically an aquired taste i think… maybe its just cause im italian… but i love the stuff. im so happy san pellegrino makes it now!!! AHH!!! its realy a great drink… kinda a cross between coke and an herbal rootbeer.
Chinotto is the drink of choice on hot summer days. Here in Melborune Austrlia I can buy Chinotto (4 different brands both local and imported) at the local chain supermarket. But then again Cafe/Italian culture is just a part of life here.
I love love love Chinotto. I like the soda called Sanbitter to though, so maybe its just me.
Chinotto is excellent! I live in London and find it occasionally in some Italian shops – I first tried it when living in Italy as a kid. San Pellegrino Chinotto – buonissimo!!
The San Pellegrino kind is fantastic. The taste is unique, even my kids love it. There's nothing like buying some fresh bread, sopressata salami, and provolone cheese, and chinotto to have a perfect lunch.
I am just back from Rome. I saw a bottle of Fanta Chinotto and was fascinated to what it was as I had never seen it before. I bought a bottle and whilst it smells really nice, it is probably the most vile soft drink I have ever tasted. It literally tastes like cough medicine. Not one of our group liked it and we have a very very wide taste in everything. I would say it is probably an acquired taste. Like marmite I suppose, you either love it of hate it.
Chino (Chinotto) is the best! It is an acquired taste. At a young age I didn't like it, now I love it. Too bad it isn't easily found in Los Angeles. I did find it at an IGA in Mont Tremblant Canada.
you're talking about chinotto, but none of you have never tried the best chinotto ever done in italy, made by Neri!! Chinotto Neri makes people dream, the other ones are just less than average!!
The real one is only chinotto Neri,believe me, i'm italian!! Carlo Basilr
In New York City Chinotto San Pelegrino is sold at Antique Cafe, on 26th east of 6th or 27th east of 8th. Don't know where else offhand, though I know it's distributed here.
I like the stuff. Besides citrus there's a little hint of cinnamon perhaps, or clove. From the land of Campari and Fernet Branca, the little bit of bitter with the sweet is refreshing and unusual.
Coming from an Italian family that left Italy probably 50 years before the beverage was invented (the claim is early 1930s), I never met it growing up.
Had my first bottle today (from Ratto's Deli in Oakland, CA)–the little San Pellegrino one. Liked it. But then, I like Campari a lot (the rest of my family does not agree with me, which is fine; too expensive to water them all).
Nice bittersweet & herbal taste. As soon as I tasted it, it was clear the kinship to Campari.
Chinotto is the number one drink!!! I live in Turkey and cant find it anywhere but recently been in Paris for a week and bought a can and bring it to Turkey in my luggage
it didnt explode under pressure haha I love it I wish I can find it here in Istanbul 
I love Brio Chinotto. I've been drinking it since the early 60's. Pizza does not taste as good when you don't have a Brio Chinotto to wash it down with. It is great mixed with vermouth and lime.
I love chinotto, I have drunk it in australia for more than 15 years, goes great with pizza and most foods. Family doesn't like it which suits me.
Chinotto is just excellent. I really enjoyt it. I've just had a bottle (imported from Tuscani Beverages in Campbellfield, Melbourne) from Shouson Hill supermarket here in Hong Kong and mmmm it's good. I normally drink the various brands that are available in Australia, both local and imported (available at the excellent local delis in neighborhoods like Clayton in south east Melbourne). I'd love to try other European brands whenever I make it to Europe and the Mediterranean.
I've just bought a can of San Pellegrino Cinotto out of curiosity – once I tasted it, I had to google to find out what on earth I was drinking! so thanks for filling me in. I can't say I like it, but it is strangely more-ish!
Its impossible to buy it in Poland… And I love it. Damn. Sometimes my friends brings me some of it when they traveling back from Italy.
I've been drinking the Brio brand for the past 15 years and it's one of the best drinks ever! Growing up in a suburb near Toronto (Maple to be specific) there were a good handful of Italian bakeries that sold the brand. It's definitely great with pizza and even spicy curries (I'm of South Asian descent, who loves his curries) ! Two years ago I travelled to Italy with my wife and we tried a few of the other brands (Chino, etc.) but in my opinion Brio is the best!
what is it with Italians drinking gross things?
What is it with Italians eating undercooked pasta?
What is it with Italians who claim "you need to taste the pasta" WTF! It tastes like NOTHING… that's why you put sauce on it!
Italian soccer teams suck too.
OK, I just tryed Chinotto for the first time and It Is SO GROSS!!! I am American so I think my tongue is more use to LARGE doses of high fructose corn syrup! No hard feelings to those who like this Nasty stuff! I won't EVER be wanting any so…more for you! Enjoy!
A slice of Pizza at Bitondo's in little Italy in Toronto and a Brio Chinotto. My favorite lunch, for the last 25 years.
To compare Chinoto to Coke or even Rootbeer is a travisty to the previously mentioned. I recently tried Chinoto and wow does it pack a punch. Now I can take the hit but this stuff I wanted to rinse my mouth out with anything I counld find. I finished the can trying to see it would grow on me but man it was a challenge to get it down.
I love Chinotto, ever since first trying it in an Italian cafe in San Francisco. However, my girlfriend hates it and almost spat it out too when I offered ti to her…
I LOVE Chinotto it is so nice and fresh better than coke.
I LOVE chinotto
only had it once, in my dad's home town of Salento (i'm half italian) …
The fact that i'm italian is probs the reason why I like it ….
lol
<3
I'm not Italian, but I LOVE the stuff.
I used to buy the 'Brio' brand at Superstore…anyone know who carries the stuff in Calgary?
BTW, for another 'taste of italy', try smoking a briar pipe. From personal experience, Calabresi and Savinelli are good brands; I don't have a Calabresi, but a lot of people recommend them (they're oil-cured). Italian briar gets used in Kaywoodies and some other pipes, too.
I just had my first San Pellegrino Chinotto at the local deli…a Lebanese fellow there bought it for me to celebrate my Sicilian heritage as we were discussing flavors that had to be acquired in childhood. I love the oil-cured wrinkly, bitter black olives, so he thought I'd like the Chinotto too..he was right.
Love it !!! especially Chin8 neri…
The other day I was craving a drink of Rye, but had no mix other than Brio in the fridge…. so I said what the hell.
To my surprise it was one of the best mixes I have ever had!!! The bitterness of the Brio was balanced by the sweetness of the Rye. Unbelievable! I have since served it to a few people and they were awestruck
Give it a try!
I like it! I’m in Pittsburgh – I get mine down at the Pennsylvania Macaroni co. when I shop in the Strip. They sell it online too, if u want to pay shipping and u just have to have some.
I adore chinotto, and I’m the author of the first Italian website on chinotto. It’s a little bit old-fashioned and out of maintenance now, but it still has its visitors. Sorry I haven’t done the English translation yet, but I didn’t know many chinotto fans abroad until a few years ago. I’m a big collector too and I’d be glad to hear from you if you have news about chinotto distribution anywhere in the world. Have you ever seen any brand other than San Pellegrino in America?
Cheers.