Sopra Chinò is the latest release from fun and cool drinks producers Fun Cool Drinks, who also happen to make Sopra real fruit vodka sodas. Chinò takes the brand and the drinker into moodier territory with a darker, more complex spritz that riffs on Italian chinotto while standing firmly in its own lane. It’s the first alcoholic chinotto of its kind, balancing bitter, sweet, citrus and layered spice with Sopra’s signature restraint you’ve come to know and love.
It’s a nostalgic flavour, reimagined with a modern edge, and one that pairs beautifully with food. Here’s co-founder Emilio Scalzo now with how it all comes together in the can:
Hard chinotto, you say? That’s a new thing. How did the idea come about?
It’s something we’ve been talking about for years, we just needed to figure out the right moment and the right format. We both love chinotto and always wanted to explore the aperitivo world with Sopra, but we feel the spritz market is really overcrowded. We like finding a unique angle in whatever we release, and this felt like the perfect opportunity: take a classic Italian flavour that’s a bit misunderstood, give it structure and drinkability, and bring it into a modern sessionable format.
Give us the elevator pitch, what makes Chino special?
A perfectly balanced blend of bitter, sweet and citrus, delivering a luxurious, refreshing spritzy ode to the Italian classic.
Who are you and what are you all about?
We’re Salvatore Valvo and Emilio Scalzo, old schoolmates turned business partners. Together we founded Fun Cool Drinks, and for nearly five years we’ve been making cult-favourite Sopra, an all-natural vodka RTD flavoured with 100% real fruit. Salvatore has spent 20 years in the alcohol industry across Australia and the US, while Emilio owns popular Fitzroy restaurants Poodle Bar & Bistro and Rocco’s Bologna Discoteca and is founder of creative studio Congrats.
Most Sopra products are born after hours at the Poodle bar, experimenting with ingredients, testing ideas, and drinking more than a little too much. Chinò was different. We tasted every chinotto we could get our hands on, from the old-school Italian greats to modern craft versions, and developed a flavour profile we genuinely loved. The next challenge was finding the right alcoholic base to complement it without overpowering that signature bittersweet profile.
Explain like we’re five: how do you make it?
We teamed up with Holgate Brewhouse in Victoria, who were absolute legends in helping bring Chinò to life. First, we brew a clean, crisp alcoholic base. Then we build flavour with natural flavours, layering citrus, bitterness, spices and botanicals to recreate that nostalgic chinotto backbone, but with better balance and way more freshness.
It’s a standout from the first glance. Chinò is made for those who appreciate the depth and bitterness of classic Italian digestifs but still want something light, refreshing, and genuinely sessionable. It’s perfect to stock the fridge with before hosting or heading to a house party. It also happens to pair beautifully with food. The layered bitterness, citrus, and herbal complexity of its chinotto base complement the flavours of Italian cooking especially well.
What excites you about this project?
We always aim to bring something new and different to Australian drinking culture, especially something that challenges people’s expectations. Chinotto can be polarising, but that’s why it’s exciting. When you get it right, it’s magic. Taking that familiar flavour, refining it and putting our little twist on it turning it into a sessionable spritz, this has been the most fun beverage we’ve ever made.
What are the perfect conditions to enjoy Chino?
It’s one that fits naturally into the good parts of life: the meals, the conversations, the golden hours.
I’m thinking of a late afternoon clothed table, the kind that’s slowly filling with plates of grilled seafood, salumi and crusty bread. The light’s starting to dip, the air’s still warm, there’s laughter and stories being shared all around you and maybe some Chisel on in the background. That’s where Chinò shines: chilled, poured over ice, maybe with a slice of orange, and often with something to eat.
Is this here for a good time or a long time?
Initially this was going to be a one-off limited release, but judging by the early feedback and take on, we will be here for a long time.
Chinò is available online on our website drinksopra.com, and will be on Dan Murphy’s website soon. In-store, deliveries are still filtering out, but you can find it in: McCoppins, Carwyn Cellars, Beer Mash, Bottega Tasca, Sessions Northcote, Sessions Brunswick West, Happy Apple supermarkets, Carlton Cellars, Boccaccio Cellars, Provincia Safety Beach and many many more independant bottle shops over the next few weeks. Or you can try a can in venues such as Rocco’s Bologna Discoteca, Paradise Alley or the Courthouse Hotel.
For more on Sopra Chinò, head to drinksopra.com and follow along at @drink.sopra.