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Comment by asimpletune | Hacker News Reader

There’s a drink in Italy made with this that’s way better than sprite.

You mean cedrata?

Though there are many makers of similar soft drinks, traditionally (since 1956) the most reknown maker is Tassoni.

The company has been recently sold (2021) and the buyer, Lunelli group (more famous for wines) has promised (but seemingly hasn't done anything about it till now) a new international expansion.

It is recent news that they are re-positioning the brand toward luxury beverages, JFYI (Italian):

https://www.repubblica.it/il-gusto/2023/03/24/news/cedrata_t...

Yeah, it’s Cedrata

Are you referring to Chinotto? I love that stuff. I wish I could get the less sweet versions, but I always buy a few cases of Brio anytime I go home to Toronto.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinotto_(drink)

Chinotto is made with a different kind of fruit, still a citrus, but a different kind.

The cedrata is made with Citrus Medica or Citrus Diamante. This is basically a larger and sweeter (less acid) lemon.

The chinotto is made with Citrus Mirtyfolia. This is basically a small, bitter orange.

Chinotto is stupid expensive in the US right now. Lurisia, Galvanina, San Pellegrino-little italian delis want $14 for a 4-pack of 170ml bottles.

If this keeps up, I'm going to become an italian soda smuggler.

Wholesale price for San Pellegrino large bottles was around a dollar each a couple years ago when I was ordering them in SoCal

I first thought you made a mistake, but I googled and see the I was wrong. Where can you find chinotto in Ontario?

San Pelegrino makes it. Higher-end grocers have it sometimes; Italian import stores are more reliable. Speaking in general; we have it in BC but there are a lot of Italian diaspora here.

I buy Brio at Longo's market when I am there.

Brio (never tasted it personally) is said to be quite unlike chinotto (too much sweet), personally even the San Pellegrino made one is a bit too sweet, in Italy there are quite a few almost artisanal brands that are usually much better (in the sense of being more similar to "traditional" chinotto) but they tend to be marketed nowadays as "niche/luxury" and have hefty prices.

What you can do (at home) is to make it yourself, there are good chinotto syrups and you just add sparkling water to make a chinotto that is better than the pre-made soft-drinks.

That's a pretty low bar. Maybe if it's better than 7-Up...

In Italy what is similar to Sprite or 7-up (but usually better) is called gazzosa (or gassosa).

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