Spuma  an Italian Herbal Sparkling Soft drink and World Refill Day.

When we talk about traditional Italian products are we always referring to wine, prosecco, and cocktails, but the whole non-alcoholic world?

We have a great tradition of non-alcoholic drinks born in the 1800s and which still today have an interesting market also because they are excellent also to make cocktails.

Of all today I chose the Spuma. The Spuma is a carbonated soft drink based on water, sugar, variable quantities of caramel, and various aromas (including lemon juice, infusion of orange peel, rhubarb, vanilla, and spices);

The term, generic, is a fictional trade name and dates back to the times when there were many local producers of carbonated soft drinks, so the name of the individual brands was less important than now.

The Spuma Bionda (blonde) was born in the early twenties, and the Spuma Nera was produced for the first time in 1938 by the Spumador company

The Spuma is used for the preparation of various cocktails, for example, the Spuma Nera combined with red wine is called Sü e giö (in the Milanese dialect and in the high areas of Lombardy) or “picio pacio”. In Val di Sole and its surroundings, it is called misto rós or misto  blànch depending on whether red or white  wine is used.

A drink with an original and unique taste: the aromatic profile has marked floral notes of elderflowers, roses, and geraniums that evolve in delicate balances of sage and coriander.

Spuma”: classic, blonde, vivacious. The natural extract of rhubarb root, orange peel, caramel, and flavorings give Spuma bionda 

Apart from being a non-alcoholic flavoursome drink, the spuma is still today one of those drinks with vuoto a rendere/empty bottle return

Go to a shop, buy the spuma, when it’s finished, go back to the shop with the empty bottle and the shopkeeper will return the cost of the bottle itself. Even at the supermarket, there is the notice “Vuoto a Rendere”,Empty  Bottle  Return.

This is an old Italian habit, a bit abandoned for drinks since the 80s but now it returns, even with new Government regulations.

By reusing it several times, the returnable empty bottle produces less waste than a plastic bottle. Glass protects raw materials and energy, does not alter the flavor of the content, and shortens the journeys in freight transport. This means taking care of the environment from the first to the last sip.

This is the old refill tradition and we hope it truly comes back for many drinks.

So when you are in Italy try the Spuma and return the bottle.