The folks behind Freddy’s Pizza and Bobby’s drinks have come together to reinvent the wheel by bringing back the Italian soft drink Chinotto. In their hands, the final result is a bold new take on a nostalgic pizzeria classic; crafted with a premium and all-natural ingredients minus the sugar hit and filled with delicious bitter accents instead.
The result is surprisingly good – yes we’ve tried it and well, we also grew up on drinking Chinotto in the 1980s, so trust our palette; it gets pretty damn close.
The limited-edition collaboration is another clever match from the folks behind Freddy’s -a neighbourhood favourite wood-fired pizza venue and Bobby who brings a preservative-free approach to modern soft drinks.
We spoke to Dan Leuzzi at Freddy’s and Liam Dodds GM at Bobby’s for our At The Bar series.
MY CITY
DAN SAYS: Born and raised in Melbourne. It’s in my blood as much as it can be. It’s a multicultural city as we know, however growing up with a strong-ties to Italian and Egyptian heritage leaves me with a proud feeling of why this city is so great. It’s for everyone, with food and drink to celebrate that.
LIAM SAYS: It’s a melting pot of art and culture that has a vibe that doesn’t compare to anywhere else in the world.
FAVOURITE FOOD MEMORY
DAN: My Nonna’s sister’s pasta – in her kitchen in Rome. I’ll never forget it. 1 pot, broccoli, pasta, parmigiano, pepper. So simple and the most delicious meal in my memory.
LIAM: Carbonara from Pommidoro in Rome, recommended by Stanley Tucci and lives up to the hype. Best pasta dish of my life.
FAVOURITE BAR
DAN: Dirty Vodka Martini – always order this no matter where I go.
LIAM: Spiced Rum (or any spirit of choice) and freshly squeezed apple juice from Union Electric. It’s so unique to them that I feel like if I had it anywhere else it would feel like a copy.
DRINK THAT DESCRIBES YOU
DAN: Negroni – Just three magical parts creating a pretty lovely dude man.
LIAM: Negroni.
BEST HANGOVER CURE
DAN: Nailed this one. Lots of water and Celtic salt before bed. Next day, cold shower, walk, coconut water. Then once you’re done with. this ritual it’s KFC or lots of dumplings – Lord of the Rings on the couch. You’ll be laughing!
LIAM: A Bobby vanilla cola (maybe two or three) and some KFC chips will do the trick.
BEST INTERSTATE BAR
DAN: The Caterpillar Cub in Sydney. Beautiful decor, great vibe and great service. Bloody fun night out.
LIAM: The Henry Deane in Sydney for delicious cocktails and the best view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
A HOT TIP FOR AN OVERSEAS BAR
DAN: Anywhere with a hand painted sign. Go in, get a local beer and talk shit to a local if you can.
LIAM: Furthest away from a tourist attraction the better
FAVOURITE WINE
DAN: Never go past a Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose. Always a good start!
LIAM: Noisy Ritual Mixed Business is my go-to chilled red over summer. Crowd pleaser.
FAVOURITE WINERY
DAN: I really liked Ocean Eight Winery in Mornington Peninsula. Super simple, German heritage style architecture, lovely spot in Spring or Summer, actually Autumn and Winter too why not!
LIAM: I would have to say Montalto on the Mornington Peninsula for its delicious wine (of course) but also its relaxed garden bar and sculpture park
WHY CHINOTTO
DAN: We love Italian soft drinks and flavours, and we love what Bobby represent. It was a very straight forward conversation and match made! I first discovered Chinotto when I drank it at my Nonno’s house at the age of four. It’s a drink we grew up with at every lunch and dinner table. Explaining it to my Aussie mates growing up was always a challenge. Now it’s a lot easier, that’s for sure.
LIAM: Traditional chinotto can be quite polarising, but we wanted to create a more approachable version – something that still feels true to Bobby’s ethos of being unconventional, while appealing to our community. Partnering with a Melbourne food icon felt like the perfect way to bring it to life. The collaboration is authentically Nobby, but also pays tribute to the Italian culture and community that Freddy’s embodies.
When did you first discover chinotto – we’d love a nostalgia memory attached to?
LIAM: I remember having Chinotto for the first time in Italy when I was 16, and I was with a host family who spoke little to no English. Initially my 16-year-old palate hated the flavour, but of course didn’t want to be rude to my host family, so proceeded to drink the whole thing. I actually think they would’ve loved our version.
