Drinks in Italy

There are softdrinks, usually different ones than what you get here, Fanta in several fruit flavors, San Pellegrino fruit drinks, and other brands. They tend to be less sweet, less food coloring, and some (Grapefruit, Lime, Lemon) almost bitter/sour.

There are a number of spritzes than can be made with, again fruit juice, and carbonated water.

Others probably have some favorites as well.

Drink what you drink in Vancouver. There are pops, juices, cordials, power drinks, herbal teas and water in Italy.

You can drink whatever you want, just like at home. Nobody cares.

Cool!! Water it is 😊

Also would like to try some Paul mentioned!

Do you like bitter flavors (not liking coffee or alcohol indicates no, but just in case)? If so, try San Bitter it's a small glass bottle with red bitter liquid. Almost like campari with no alcohol. It's delicious, particularly on a hot day.

I do like Kombucha.

Daniel, we’ll have to give it a try 😊

Bottled water. You can ask for it flat ("naturale" or "senza gas") or sparkling ("con gas" or "frizzante").

I love wine, coffee and the occasional spritz but I often find myself ordering “spremuta d’arancia”, freshly squeezed orange juice when in Italy. Not to be confused with succo d’arancia.

Water (sparking or still) will be the most common, and affordable, choice for you. Soda is available, but it's fairly expensive and does not come with refills. Juices are available, too, but I tend to only have these at breakfast - the idea of Italian pasta dishes, for example, and orange juice just seems off to me (if you like it, there's no reason not to have it, though!).

At a coffee bar, teas are available as well as water and generally soda/juice. I'm talking about the iconic bars where you stand up at the bar and drink your espresso and eat a quick pastry. You can participate in this by getting the pastry and water - coffee is not required.

You will be charged a small bit for bottled water. Sparkling water somehow makes a meal feel more festive to me, so that's what I get, but still water is available too.

Good to know there is options. Still water is usually what we opt for when overseas 🙂

Hi,

Please note: tap water in restaurants in Italy is practically non existent. If you ask for water, the waitstaff will bring you "Naturale" but also charge you for it - usually by the carafe for "the table party."

Sparkling water is called "Frizzante." It is served in restaurants also; again in a carafe.

Maybe the smaller "Mom & Pops" will have only the bottled versions -- most likely individual serving. San Benedetto is a very popular water in Italy; especially the big cities such as Rome.

Supermarkets such as ICoop and Carrefour sell the Naturale and Frizzante in individual bottles.

San Pellegrino is stocked too. These markets are all over Italy as well as Simply Market. There is a "neighborhood" market that has a German name. I don't think it is in Rome or its vicinity. When one of my friends moved, that is the closest market to the home.

If you buy bottled water, it is usually about 1€ or a few cents more.

In Rome, there are a lot of free drinking fountains called nasone which is pure, ice cold water. You can fill up your water bottle. There was a map of the fountains and their locations. I could not find it at this moment.

Adding: Keep in mind also that smaller markets and Mom & Pops prefer cash. Most may not take credit cards -- even the corner liquor/mini marts. Or at least in Rome they do not.

Keep this in mind.....any drink advertising a fruit flavor in Italy--such as Fanta Orange--must have at least 10% orange juice in it.

half dozen,

As the others have mentioned, you should have no trouble just ordering water. I normally pack a water bottle when I'm out touring during the day, and usually order a bottle of Acqua naturale with meals as it's usually well chilled.

I sometimes enjoy a bottle of Chinotto which has a bit of an unusual taste. I can get that here at the local Italian Deli also.

Hubs and I aren't alcohol drinkers either. Usually at home we have soft drinks (or iced tea in my case) when we eat out but they are so much more expensive in Italy (and no free refills like at home - prob a good thing). We usually just end up ordering a litre of water to share to save money.

Hi, once in Italy and depends in which region you are: you may ask for a Cedrata expecially in the north of Italy, in Tuscany you can ask for a " Spuma bionda", the best is with Pizza or "Cecina". If you like Almonds in the south you can enjoy Il latte di mandorla ( I heated it when I was a child and I visited may realtivities in Amalfi coast) P. S. not the milk for breakfast.
The waiterstaff will suggest you the options....
Hoping to see you in my Volterra.

emma,

"Definitely try it once, you might never do it again. OK I'm scarred, I bought it by mistake and the taste was a bit of a shock"

Actually I kind of like the taste of Chinotto, and find it somewhat refreshing. Fortunately I can buy it at the local Italian Deli anytime I want to try it again.

I add my tip to this discussion about soft drinks.
- Bitter orangeade: is much more bitter than the normal orangeade, but very refreshing in summer.
- Red orangeade: is another version, made only with a quality of oranges called "sanguinella".
- Tonic water: there are two version in Italy, with similar recipes, one calle "tonica" and the other "brillante".
- Juices: Italy is a producer of fruit. Any kind of fruit, so often you can find fresh juices available at bars. There are even some good industrial juices.
- Frullati and Frappè: same reason than above, the fresh fruit availability. A "frullato" is usually made starting by fresh fruit, while a frappè starting from gelato (even if technically are synonymous).
- ginger ale: less common now, but still available.
- Sanbiter, Crodino: are little soft drinks very popular in Italy, used for cocktails or as they are. Both are without alcool, while the more famous Campari Soda is 10°.

I love the fresh lemonade in Italy.
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