Chinotto () is a type of

carbonated soft drink A soft drink (see § Terminology for other names) is a drink that usually contains water (often carbonated), a sweetener, and a natural and/or artificial flavoring. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a s ...

produced from the juice of the fruit of the myrtle-leaved orange tree (''Citrus myrtifolia''). The beverage is dark in color. Its appearance is similar to that of

cola Cola is a carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus oils and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked brand, in 1886, which was imi ...

, but not as sweet, having a bittersweet taste. The drink was known in antiquity as a dark-hued, bitter-tasting variant of

orange juice Orange juice is a liquid extract of the orange tree fruit, produced by squeezing or reaming oranges. It comes in several different varieties, including blood orange, navel oranges, valencia orange, clementine, and tangerine. As well as vari ...

, and was considered as refreshment. Industrial production of Chinotto soda dates to the 1950s. (1920) It is produced in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

by several companies, and is mostly consumed in Italy and

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. San Pellegrino, the

mineral water Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. Mineral water may usually be still or sparkling (carbonated/effervescent) according to the presence or absence of added gases. T ...

company, exports it under the brand name "Chinò" and "Chinotto."

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlant ...

produces it under the brand name "

Fanta Fanta is an American-owned German brand of fruit-flavored carbonated soft drinks created by Coca-Cola Deutschland under the leadership of German businessman Max Keith. There are more than 200 flavors worldwide. Fanta originated in Germany as ...

Chinotto" in Italy and "

Amara" in Malta. Paris - Cour Saint-Émilion - 20130801 (1)

In Italy,

quinine Quinine is a medication used to treat malaria and babesiosis. This includes the treatment of malaria due to '' Plasmodium falciparum'' that is resistant to chloroquine when artesunate is not available. While sometimes used for nocturnal le ...

is an ingredient in chinotto beverages. But the drink contains a hefty amount of alcohol.

Internationally

*The Brio (soft drink) brand of Canada (this is sweeter than Italian brands). *The Bisleri brand in Australia (previously independent, but now owned & operated by

Coca-Cola Amatil Coca-Cola Amatil Limited (CCA) was an Australian bottler of non-alcoholic beverages that existed from 1904 to 2021, when it merged with Coca-Cola European Partners to form Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. It was one of the largest bottlers of n ...

). *In Venezuela, Sprite is sold under the brand name "Chinotto"; it is owned by

The Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation founded in 1892, best known as the producer of Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola Company also manufactures, sells, and markets other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrup ...

. * Kinnie is a chinotto-like soft drink made in Malta.Kinnie goes on sale in London
''Times of Malta'', 17 September 2010.

References

{{Reflist Italian drinks Italian inventions Soft drinks

Internationally

See also

References