Chinotto - A Brief History

So for a few years now, one of my favorite drinks at Capogiro has been the San Pellegrino Chinotto. It's not the most popular of the San Pellegrino soft drinks, but I like it the best. People often ask what it is and what it tastes like. I have responded with "it's a sparkling citrus drink that is bitter and kinda tastes like coke." I didn't really think to look up what it is or how to describe the taste until today. Here's what I have learned.

Chinotto comes from a citrus fruit called Citrus Myrtifolia. This fruit is commonly found in Malta, Libya and regions in Italy. They have a sour and bitter taste and are one of the key ingredients used to make Campari. The Chinotto soda is actually described as having a similar taste to cola, but not as sweet and much more bitter. (good job me) Chinotto sodas have been around since the '50's and are produced by a number of Italian companies.

A friend of mine who is a bartender tried it and thought it would be a really good ingredient in a cocktail. I did more research and found a website with a few different cocktail recipes using Chinotto. One of them caught my attention and I thought I would share it with you.

The Bitter Philadelphian

I think it's pretty fitting and also sounds like something I would drink. If anyone comes up with other Chinotto cocktail recipes, please send them my way. Until then, I will be experimenting in my "lab" (studio apartment) with my fellow "researchers" (two fat cats) and trying to come up with more recipes.