On ever-changing Chapel Street in South Yarra, Coffee and cooking is a refreshing slice of old school. Since 1988, the neighborhood mainstay has offered a classic Italian dining experience not only in its food but also in its details: a handwritten daily specials board, classic Italian prints and a cozy, cluttered interior.

“My father came here, and my father is a real Italian – he doesn’t speak a single word of English – and we went to Caffe e Cucina,” says bar manager Matteo Di Graci. “He said to me, ‘Oh my God, this place is so good – it’s really Italian’.”

The menu depends on the season. You might find homemade tagliatelle with zucchini flowers or gnocchi with oxtail ragu, among other staples. For Di Graci, the challenge is to craft a drinks menu that complements the food and retains those authentic Italian flavors while still leaving some room for creativity.

His Rosso di Sera, for example, combines Italian flavors, creative style and the seasonal freshness of blood orange. “We’re heading into summer and I really love blood orange soda,” Di Graci says. “And with the sweet part of the agave, it’s kind of a twist on a Paloma, which usually uses grapefruit juice.”

Di Graci likes Fever-Tree Blood Orange Italian Soda because it balances the bitter notes and sugar of the blood orange. “You can really taste the blood orange in there, and it’s so hard to find a product of this quality right now where you can actually taste the fruit.”

You can order the Rosso di Sera as part of Fever-Tree’s Perfect Serve, which partners with top bars to ensure customers can achieve the exact ratio they want in their drink. That means the Rosso di Sera is served with a 200-milliliter bottle of Fever-Tree Italian Blood Orange Soda, so you can customize the strength of your drink.

Fever-Tree’s Perfect Serve drinks – including the Rosso di Sera, the classic G&T, an Amber Delight and more – will be available all summer at Caffe e Cucina.

Can’t get there? Di Graci designed the drink to be easy to make at home. You’ll need specific Italian ingredients, like Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto bergamot citrus liqueur and Portofino gin. “Portofino is a gin from northern Italy,” explains Di Graci. “I think there are 35 plants, like thyme and rosemary.

“Just pour in the agave syrup, lime juice and gin, and stir as the agave needs to dissolve. Then you put some ice and just pour the Fever-Tree blood orange on top.

Recipe: Rosso di Sera by Matteo Di Graci

Makes 1 serving. About 1.77 standard drinks.

Ingredients:

Salt and pepper, for the crust
45 ml Portofino dry gin
15 ml Italicus Rosolio from Bergamotto
20 ml lime juice
5 ml agave syrup
Fever-Tree Blood Orange Soda
Blood orange wedge, lime or thyme to garnish

Method:

Garnish a highball glass with salt and pepper.

Add the gin, Italicus, lime juice and agave juice to the glass and stir.

Top with Fever-Tree Blood Orange Soda and garnish with blood orange, lime or thyme.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Fever-Tree. The perfect service is
available at Henry G’s and Martinez in Sydney; The Farmer’s Wife in Allworth, NSW; And
Beverly, Jackalope and Caffe e Cucina in Victoria. Order a drink at Fever-Tree Perfect
Serve the menu and your tonic will be served on the side to create your perfect ratio.

Produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Fever-Tree.
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