elusive beverages

[elfin]

Why is it so hard to buy Schweppes' Bitter Lemon and San Pellagrino's Limonada? I live in the Chicagoland area and can not find Bitter Lemon except for one liquor store. You can buy the full assortment of Schweppes products(club soda, tonic and seltzer waters and ginger-ale everywhere but not this nectar of the Gods. The same with San Pellagrino's Limonada. Both of these drinks are wonderful alternatives to sweet soda pops and lemonades.

[Jason Perlow]

Whole Foods carries Limonada and Aranciata. Do they have a Chicago location?

BTW, there's a new flavor out, La Rossa (Blood Orange)

This stuff is AMAZING. The picture here is a 1.5 liter bottle, which the other flavors come in as well. I found this in a deli on 187th Street in the Arthur Ave section of the Bronx today.

[Jason Perlow]

Theres a new San Pellegrino soda flavor out, called "Pompelmo" which is a strong natural grapefruit flavor with some nice bitterness to it -- its not nearly as sweet as some of the others, and I like it even better than La Rossa or Aranciata. According to the label in back its made with Israeli grapefruits.

All of these Pellegrino fruit soda imports come in very-euro cool looking 1.5 liter bottles with this curvaceous look -- I can get them locally here in NJ at Jerry's in Englewood for $10 for a six pack. A little expensive, but this is way more worth it than most soft drinks in my opinion.

[hsm]

BTW, there's a new flavor out, La Rossa (Blood Orange)

This stuff is AMAZING. The picture here is a 1.5 liter bottle, which the other flavors come in as well. I found this in a deli on 187th Street in the Arthur Ave section of the Bronx today.

Be still my heart. This looks a lot like the blood orange Orangiana Rouge we find in France!

I'll be on the lookout in Chicago - Whole Foods or TI, Fox & Obel and L'Appetito (who all carry flavors of SP). If anyone sees it anywhere else around here....YUM!

Thanks, Jason!

[Jason Perlow]

Orangina Rouge is also in the US, but its hard to find. I think the Rossa is a tad sweeter.

[slkinsey]

Just to be nit-picky... it's Limonata with a "t" not Limonada with a "d."

Anyway... It's great stuff. Fairway always has Limonata and Aranciata.

Better yet, IMO is Chinotto (also called Chino), which has a flavor I can't quite describe.

[rickster]

I've on occasion seen the San Pellegrino products at Trader Joe's in the Northeast (the Aranciata and Limonata). I'd expect they'd be in the Chicago stores too.

Edited June 24, 2003 by rickster (log)

[KNorthrup]

Do you have Kroger's? The local equivalent, Fred Meyer, carries the Limonata and however you spell the orange version. No grapefruit or blood orange, sadly.

[trillium]

Better yet, IMO is Chinotto (also called Chino), which has a flavor I can't quite describe.

It tastes like orange bitters. Amer Picon is the alcoholic version. You can't buy it in the US anymore, it lost it's US distributor. Torani Amer is said to be a really good substitute.

regards,

trillium

[trillium]

Why is it so hard to buy Schweppes' Bitter Lemon and San Pellagrino's Limonada?  I live in the Chicagoland area and can not find Bitter Lemon except for one liquor store.  You can buy the full assortment of Schweppes products(club soda, tonic and seltzer waters and ginger-ale everywhere but not this nectar of the Gods.  The same with San Pellagrino's Limonada.  Both of these drinks are wonderful alternatives to sweet soda pops and lemonades.

You need to go to Joseph Food Mart...way out on Irving Park Rd. I moan the loss of access to that store nearly every week here in Portland. They carry a wide range of Pellagrino beverages, plus other brands from Italy that you don't see so often. It's my secret shame that I sometimes crave those sweet/salty carbonated coffees that come in the same little glass bottles (cans are not the same!). Joseph was the only place I found them. And they're the best Italian food mart in Chicagoland. Alternatively, you could order the lemon syrup from AG Ferrari. I actually like it better then the limonata when it's mixed with pelligrino water.

regards,

trillium

[grandcru]

After traveling in northeast Italy a couple weeks ago, and having tried both of Pellegrino's newer sodas, the Pompelmo and the Arancia Rossa, I'm grippin' out here on the Left Coast in hopes of finding them. I'd especially love to see them in the aforementioned 1.5 liter bottles. They would occupy a regular and honored position in my fridge. I have already "banged the monkey" (Jim Rome-speak) at my local Trader Joe's, where they carry Aranciata and Limonata in 6-pk cans. Any So Cal sightings would be appreciated.

[alacarte]

In Amsterdam, they had Fanta Pomelo in every corner store & on every restaurant menu. (much like the Pellegrino pompelmo). Never saw it anywhere in the U.S. (but I haven't been everywhere in the U.S. yet!)

[Stigand]

San Pelligrino Limonata, Aranciata, Chino and Pompelmo (sp?) are all available in the UK too if anyone's interested. Limonata and Aranciata at EAT sandwich bars, and the other two flavours in Italian delis, for example Delice D'Italia on Lupus Street, SW1.

I like the Pompelmo flavour with Campari and soda.

[Sweet Willie]

I live in the Chicagoland area and can not find Bitter Lemon except for one liquor store.

where?

[babyluck]

I found the Chinotto at Bartolomeo's deli in Palisades Park today. $4.99 for a 6-pack of 200 ml bottles. That's $4/liter vs. the $1 Jason paid a few miles away. Ouch! I handed her a five and she gave me a one back. I thought she gave me back too little (of course they weren't marked) but then she took the one back and handed me a penny. Nothing but pennies and receipts in my wallet now so it better be good. I've got one chilling in the fridge right now.

It's funny, my whole life I have probably walked past Bitter Lemon in countless soda aisles but I never noticed it until this past weekend at Stop & Shop in Westfield. Mr. Babyluck had never noticed it before either and we were both intrigued, but kind of tacitly decided to save it for another time. Funny how we savor simple treats like that, and funnier still that this thread popped up 2 days later.

I'm thankin' my lucky stars for TJs right about now -- those 6-packs of 11-oz. Aranciata & Limonata are a steal in comparison. They taste like backpacking in Europe to us. No matter what country you're in, you can always find some nice orange or lemon soda to go with your bread & cheese, and it always hits the spot. Still does.

[wesza]

Why is it so hard to buy Schweppes' Bitter Lemon and San Pellagrino's Limonada?  I live in the Chicagoland area and can not find Bitter Lemon except for one liquor store.  You can buy the full assortment of Schweppes products(club soda, tonic and seltzer waters and ginger-ale everywhere but not this nectar of the Gods.  The same with San Pellagrino's Limonada.  Both of these drinks are wonderful alternatives to sweet soda pops and lemonades.

In "Seattle" we have San pellagrino's products, but not in the 1.5 liter's. We don't have any 'Schweppes", Bitter Lemon, or my favorite "Ginger Beer". Is the Ginger Beer available anywhere in the USA? Irwin

[Kenk]

wesza,

You usually will find ginger beer at a Caribbean store or any place that sell Caribbean food products.

The other place to find ginger beer is a store that has specialty item from the UK.

Where I live you can find ginger beer in every major grocery store. One store has its own house brand in 2 liter bottles(about 2 quarts).

I like to make my own sometimes.

[KNorthrup]

The other place to find ginger beer is a store that has specialty item from the UK.

That's where I get my Schweppe's bitter lemon too. (In Portland.)

[phaelon56]

Thre West indian Ginger beers such as D&G tend to be a bit pricey in any grocery stores but check the Goya section. My local store is now carrying Goya ginger beer - not as spicey as the D&G but it's pretty darn good for about half the price.

Now that I've been exiled to Syracuse NY fromthe NYC area I can't seem to find the 1.5 liter bottles of limonata but there are a few local stores that carry vast selections of beer and also party supplies. Most of thhose have Schweppe's Bitter Lemon in the bar mixers section. It is commonly sold as a bar mixer and not a soda.

Now if I could only find Cidona. It's an apple flavored soft drink I have encountered only in Ireland - it's noticeably better in the small bottle than it is in the 1.5 liter bottles and in either case its a refreshing change. The apple taste seems very natural and it's not as sweet as a typical soft drink.

[Stigand]

For what it's worth, Pret a Manger (the ubiquitous - but very good - London sandwich chain) recently introduced a bunch of proprietary sprakling canned drinks, including Ginger Beer, 'Yoga Bunny cordial' (kind of ginseng-ish), Elderflower, lemon, orange etc.

The Ginger Beer is really, really, good (haven't tried all the rest yet). Not too sweet (sweetened with grape juice not sugar, and not much of it at that) and really really strong ginger taste; so much so that it leaves your mouth tingling. That is exactly what I look for in ginger beer. Well done Pret.

[agnolottigirl]

If really HOT ginger flavor is what you're after, you have to try Blenheim's. It's made by a tiny company in North Carolina (I think) and I've never seen it in a grocery store. Sometimes you find it in specialty shops, upscale sandwich joints, etc. Comes in HOT HOT and "not-so-hot" -- but if you're gonna do it, I say go for the gusto!!

Links here:

http://www.sodapopstop.com/products/detail.cfm?link=116

http://www.turnersouth.com/food-recipes/fo...0,,1759,00.html