They are effervescent, flavorful and Americans love them. Sodas and carbonated beverages play an integral part of everyday life in this country. Imagine an office building or public venue without a soda vending machine. Not a chance; it could incite mayhem.

No one need convince Nick Cantenella how popular sodas are. He’s the managing partner of Bertolini’s, a chic and authentic trattoria located in the Forum Shops of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. At a restaurant where cappuccinos, lattes and espresso rule supreme, Italian sodas are have recently been surging in sales at Bertolini’s. These effervescent gems are slightly sweet iced drinks made with club soda, three-ounces of Torani syrup and a float of whipping cream.

“We serve our Italian sodas in classic 14-ounce pilsener glasses. The drinks are not only extraordinarily delicious, they’re attractive and highly marketable,” says Cantenella. “We’ve created table cards to promote the Italian sodas with a picture of the drinks and a listing of the flavor options. We also market them in our food menu. It’s really impressive how well they sell.”

A part of the Morton’s Restaurant group, the fare at Bertolini’s offers the estimated 45,000 people a day who stroll by the venue upscale brick oven fired pizzas, clam linguini and chicken scaloppini. Cantenella estimates that Bertolini’s sells 1,000 to 1,500 Italian sodas a month, up to 2,000 in the summer months. Favorite flavors include cherry, grape, piña colada and raspberry. Reasonably priced at $4.25, they represent a sizeable revenue source.

Creating Soda Pop Classics

Among the advantages to marketing Italian sodas is their simplicity and creative potential. The concoction is little more than ice, soda water and a measure of one or more flavoring syrups; brands such as Monin and Torani. The delicate flavoring dissolves immediately into the seltzer, transforming it into a marvelously light soda. Flavored syrups are readily available in different flavors ranging from fruits and spice to nuts and classic dessert recreations

While Italian sodas are typically prepared with a single flavored syrup, an effortless way of devising an alcohol-free smash is to use syrups in combination. Classic taste pairings include kiwi/lime, watermelon/blueberry or coffee/chocolate, although these barely scratch the surface of what’s possible. Some may want to also upgrade the water used in the drink from club soda to bottled mineral waters such as San Pelligrino and Perrier for the club soda.

The specialty Italian sodas at Bertolini’s are topped with a layer of whipping cream, which sweets, adds substance and greatly enhances the drink’s appearance. “Our guests use the long straws to gently swirl the whipping cream into their drinks. It’s fun to do and creates a great looking drink,” adds Cantenella.

Another creative twist is hoisting a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream or lemon sorbet into the concoction. The melting of flavors and textures, the melding of cold, creamy ice cream or sorbet and flavor-charged soda make an Italian Float a sublime experience.
Fortunately for us, Italian sodas know no creative limitations. The Italian Cream Soda is made with equal parts of passion fruit and watermelon syrups, a fill with a highly carbonated mineral water—Perrier fits the bill—and a heaping scoop of French vanilla ice cream. Try pairing a soda made with a hearty black cherry syrup with a layer of raspberry sorbet, or a coffee-flavored soda with vanilla ice cream.

Whether judged on taste, panache, or profit margin, Italian sodas are one of the finest things that can be drunk through a straw.