9938 Non alcoholic aperitifs?

OK - I'm on a course of medicine that will stretch into Italian holiday for a wee bit and I have to avoid alcohol :sad:

Can anyone recommend nice non-alcoholic aperitifs?

Thanks

Category
Food & Drink

Ones commonly available in every bar and supermarket are Sanbitter and Crodino, there is another gingery one but I can't think of the name offhand. In supermarkets they come in eight /ten packs of small glass bottles. In bars they are served with ice and a slice of orange and usually arrive with various nibbles, as with prosecco. No doubt there are others, but these seem to be the most common ones.

Made from what Anne??? Do they both also have added sugar???

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0W7bLI7Wxo]YouTube - Crodino[/ame]

Anne, is the other one "Chinotto"?

Have any of you tried crodino? it is piosonous, my kids sometimes buy it and I had a taste thinking it looked like lucozade, but it is very bitter, tastes like medicine, yuk!

[quote=Sally Donaldson;92589]Made from what Anne??? Do they both also have added sugar???[/quote]

Good question! Sanbitter is quite a strong red colour and Crodino orangey/ginger, both are slightly fizzy - I suspect there is added sugar and I think 'aromi' give the flavour - they are certainly not fruit based and are probably full of artificial horrors - but they are refreshing.

[QUOTE=juliancoll;92596
Anne, is the other one "Chinotto"?[/QUOTE]

No, Chinotto is more of a coke/fanta substitute - it comes in large 1litre+ bottles, I think it is made from a type of bitter Sicilian orange, Again it is quite refreshing, but not what I was thinking of - I'll have a look for the name next time I'm in the supermarket.

To make Sanbitter into a longer drink - add fresh red orange juice, very pleasant.

Thanks Anne. Surely then if these are full of artificial ingredients then God knows what the reaction will be with medications. Maybe better to have pure, preferably organic, fruit juice with ice or just a glass of chilled prosecco even.

Sally, they all contain sugar. I checked the labels. As for taste, "Chinotto" and fresh orange juice is very nice as Anne suggested.

Checked this morning - the others I could not remember are 'Aperol' and 'Gingerino'.
Looking at the ingredients list water is immediately followed by sugar then andride carbonica, then aromi....................., so yes Sally, sugar is not just added, but one of the main ingredients!

Here is some more information on "Crodino" [url=http://www.camparigroup.com/en/brands/crodino.jsp]Crodino | Gruppo Campari[/url]
I have not tasted it as it contains sugar, but I bet that it would be a non-alcoholic version of "Cynar" also produced by Campari. The only positive thing is that Cynar is excellent health-wise.... although it tastes like bitter medicine.....

Crodino and Chinotto are herb and fruit infused. Sorry I don't know/remember which herb/s. Loads of sugar though.

Here's some information on Chincotto gleaned from Google (where else)

[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinotto]Chinotto - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/url]

[quote=anne2;92613]Checked this morning - the others I could not remember are 'Aperol' and 'Gingerino'.
Looking at the ingredients list water is immediately followed by sugar then andride carbonica, then aromi....................., so yes Sally, sugar is not just added, but one of the main ingredients![/quote]

Better just warn that Aperol does actually contain alcohol.

[quote=Gala Placidia;92603]Sally, they all contain sugar. I checked the labels. As for taste, "Chinotto" and fresh orange juice is very nice as Anne suggested.[/quote]

And bitterino (red) with ice and fresh orange juice reminds you of "Campari + Orange"

Love Campari and orange and ice,

Yes but has to be better than that ghastly cyclamate stuff. Personally think you can't beat a schweppes tonic (not the slimline stuff) very cold and getting more commonly available in Italy. By the way the tonic available in Lidl is very good indeed unlike the co-op one which is bitter but lacking in lemony aromas!

[quote=rosie A;92740]Better just warn that Aperol does actually contain alcohol.[/quote]

Oops, sorry! As the small bottles were with the Sanbitters, Crodini etc rather than with the small Campari and Martinis I assumed it was alcohol free - should have read the label!

They are all disgusting. My husband was offered one once and he drunk it unsuspectingly as I watched and waited for his reaction. He was not amused.
Stick to fruit juice.

Yvonne