What happens when a Melbourne restaurateur and a wine and liquor career buddy come together to start a new business? They launch a fruit seltzer called Sopra all in the name of channelling an Italian watermelon granita that’ll help you bring Amalfi chic to the party.
Sopra launched in the RTD category three years, and last month emerged with a new flavour – the Watermelon & Basil seltzer.
Created by Rocco’s Bologna Discoteca and Poodle Bar & Bistro Co-Founder, Emilio Scalzo, and Wine Professional Salvatore Valvo – they fill the gap with a product that uses real fruit instead of artificial sweeteners.
“We’ve always enjoyed a drink together and dabbled in different products in the past, but this really came about when Salvatore returned home from New York after covid lockdown, and was launching his wine and liquor business,” says Scalzo who met Valvo in high school.
“At the time we had a lot of time on our hands and were inspired by what we would mix for ourselves at parties,” he says.
“We sourced a bunch of juices, some vodka and some measuring cups from the restaurant kitchen and started playing around with different combinations,” he adds.
“We created something we wanted to drink and feel we’ve created a unique product and something people really resonated with,” says Salvatore Valvo.
“We produce in small batches constantly to ensure the product is as fresh as possible when it’s on the shelves,” he says.
The Sopra crew use facilities in Ballarat to bring the Sopra product to life.
“The flavour component is achieved by meticulous ingredient sourcing and recipe development. We have a great relationship with our suppliers and they help us ensure that we’re always using the best fruit. They squeeze it fresh for our needs and it usually goes straight from farm to tank,” says Scalzo.
With three seltzers on the market, these go-getters are already working on a collaboration with a winery in Italy to launch.
FAVE COCKTAIL
A dirty vodka martini is always a favourite. The savoury olive brine contrasting with that clean vodka sharpness is always a treat and they certainly get your night off to a flying start.
ON YOUR PLAYLIST RIGHT NOW
We’ve been doing large productions of Sopra lately, so moving to and from factories and storage facilities unloading palettes from trucks. We started singing Cold Chisel’s Shippin’ Steel as a laugh and haven’t been able to get it out of our heads ever since. It’s an Aussie classic.
