Crodino Review: The Easy Non-Alcoholic Italian Aperitivo
Crodino is small, orange, fizzy, sweet-bitter, and very easy to pour before dinner. It is not a dry cocktail replacement, but it knows exactly what it is.
What Crodino tastes like
Crodino tastes like orange peel, herbs, soda bubbles, and a soft bitter finish. It is sweeter than a serious amaro-style drink, but it has enough bitterness to keep it from tasting like plain orange soda.
The best way to drink it is cold over ice, with an orange slice if you have one.
Where to buy
For Crodino, compare bottle price and pack size. It is best treated as a small pre-dinner pour.
Where it works best
Crodino belongs before dinner with salty food: olives, chips, pizza, fried appetizers, grilled shrimp, cheese, cured meats, or anything you would eat outside before a meal.
It is also a good first aperitif for someone who wants the spritz mood but does not want to mix a drink.
What it is not
Crodino is not a dry Negroni substitute. It is not as bitter as Ghia, not as cocktail-like as a Phony Negroni, and not as sharp as some aperitif bottles.
If you want a very dry, bitter drink, you may outgrow it. If you want something simple and pleasant before dinner, that is where it shines.
How I would serve it
Pour it into a small glass with plenty of ice. Add orange or grapefruit. If it tastes too sweet, top it with sparkling water. If you want a stronger pre-dinner bite, try Ghia or Lyre’s Italian Spritz next.
I would not overthink it. Crodino is at its best when the food is salty, the glass is cold, and you are not asking it to be a full cocktail.
Bottom line
Crodino is one of the easiest non-alcoholic aperitif drinks to recommend. Buy it for orange, bubbles, light bitterness, and a no-mixing pre-dinner drink.