Italian Sodas

Italian sodas are known for their bracing refreshment and true fruit tastes. Bottled sodas such as Agrumi are all natural, with no additives or colorings. At Gourmet Pantry, we carry Agrumi in four flavors: lemon, citron, tangerine and grapefruit.

More often, however, Italian sodas are freshly made by combining flavored syrups with seltzer or mineral water. Among the most famous names are Torani, D’Arbo, Da Vinci and Monin. The basic recipe is one ounce of syrup to eight ounces of sparkling water. Add an ounce of half-and-half to make it a cremosa. Flavored syrups can also be used to make coffee drinks, steamers (mix syrup with steamed milk), and granitas.

The range of flavors available is quite astonishing, with some companies making as many as 100 different flavors. Fruit flavors are most common, of course, but there are also syrups made with the flavors of chocolate, almonds, cinnamon, anise, rum, vanilla, ginger, mint and even cheesecake! For something different and very refreshing, try herbal syrups such as chamomile.

In America, these syrups have mostly been used for flavoring coffee and shaved ice, but the popularity of Italian sodas is growing steadily. Their all-natural ingredients and lack of preservatives make them a healthful alternative to standard sodas. Keep several bottles in your refrigerator, and you’ll find many uses for them besides beverages. Flavored syrups also make great additions to gift baskets. At Gourmet Pantry we carry D’Arbo syrups from Austria in six fruit flavors (the sour cherry is especially thirst-quenching) and in chamomile.

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