Summer beverages in Rome: chinotto, spuma and more!

One of the main peeves for visitors from abroad as they arrive in Rome during the summer season is that they are frustrated that their ice cold drinks of choice are for the most part not available at all in Italy (not an absolute, as Starbucks is branching out in the country!).

That in itself shouldn’t be surprising: in another part of the world, with a different culture, you’re bound to find that things works in a different way – which is true for many subjects, not just food and drinks 🙂

This post is all about pointing out what to order or buy to quench your thirst during the current (and future) heatwaves – it expands on this popular post but focuses on non-coffee based drinks. Well, for the most part at least… Enjoy!

Meet Chinotto and Spuma, Italy’s original sodas

In recent years, and in part due to the success of the Slow Food movement, many local drinks that had stopped production due to the smashing success of internationally available drinks like Coca Cola or Sprite have been bought out and have come back to life (or, more appropriately, shelf life!).

Chinotto (“key-noht-toh”) and Spuma (“spoo-mah”) are two of the most popular ones: the former is made from a specific type of citrus-fruit which juice is dark in colour, almost black. Spuma is a mix of fizzy water, sugar and caramel (in variable amounts, so you can have lighter or darker spuma).

Several brands exist and are available in most supermarkets or grocery stores, but in the Rome area the Chinotto Neri and Spumador brands are the most common ones.

Want some more energy? Introducing Brasilena and Guaranito

As an alternative, Brasilena is another local soda which is coffee-based. It’s not for everyone (would you drink a fizzy coffee?), but why not give it a go? Be aware that this originates in the Calabria region so it is not necessarily available in all of Rome.

Fizzy Guarana drinks come from a place even further away than Calabria: Brazil! This healthier option to Redbull & other energy drinks became somehow popular in Italy thanks to Altromercato, Italy’s equivalent to Fair Trade, and they’re not too hard to come by. They’re mostly known by their brand name: Guaranito.

“Latte di mandorla”: almond milk, the Italian way

If you’ve given up dairy and milk in your diet, you will be familiar with alternatives such as oat milk or almond milk. The latter has been part of the Sicilian way to overcome summer heatwaves for centuries (if not millennia!) and it has made its way slowly but surely up the Italian boot.

In Rome, you can find many cafes offering it as is, or by adding a little pistachio juice to it. Whether white or green in colour, it’s nothing like the almond milk you are used to. Latte di mandorla (“latt-ay dee mahn-dohr-lah”) is thicker, richer and slightly sweetened (depending on the establishment you get it from) and you can also buy it in cartons in most grocery shops.

Orzata and menta: our grandparents’ sodas!

More non-fizzy, non-alcoholic drinks come in the form of menta (mint) or orzata (horchata/barley water), two of the most popular fruit syrups you can have in Italy.

There are plenty of other flavours, including cherry or strawberry, but the former two are more popular and less difficult to come by. “Difficult” as in “these are really a retro type of refreshment and our grandmas used to have them all the time”. Therefore, some cafes might not even have them. But if they do, know the fruit syrup is mixed with either water or regular milk, so order carefully in the event you’re lactose intolerant!