Grappa
Grappa, in my humble opinion, is a drink that is seriously underrated in the UK. Many people’s experience of it amount to some inexpensive firewater at their local Italian restaurant, leading them to banish grappa from their thoughts! This is a huge mistake! Good quality grappa rivals many a Cognac or whisky as an after dinner tipple.
Grappa is made by distilling the skins, pulp, seed and stems (known as the pomace) that are left over from winemaking once the grapes have been pressed. Grappa is now a protected name in the EU and must meet the following criteria to use the name grappa:
• Produced in Italy or in the Italian part of Switzerland or San Marino
• Produced from pomace
• Fermentation & distillation must occur on the pomace, with no added water
Where grappa differentiates from say, Brandy is the second criteria above. Brandy is produced using pure grape juice, whereas grappa is made from pomace. The third criteria has two important implications – firstly, distillation must occur on solids so it is carried out using steam distillation rather than a direct flame as the pomace could burn. Secondly, the stems and seeds of the grapes are co-fermented with the sugar rich juice which produces methanol. As methanol is toxic, this needs to be carefully removed during distillation. There is now an Italian law in place that requires winemakers to sell their pomace to grappa producers – this was introduced to outlaw illegal producers (who wouldn’t always successfully remove the methanol).
The exact origin of grappa isn’t precisely known, but it is thought to date back to around 1600AD, when distillation started to become more commonplace. As with many spirits and liqueurs, it was first created for medicinal purposes to aid digestion after a heavy meal. This tradition has remained in modern Italy, with grappa being the digestif of choice at many a dinner table.
The flavour of grappa is dependent on the type and quality of the grapes used, as well as the specifics of the distillation process (the better producers are far more meticulous). As a result a grappa made from moscato grapes will be fresh, lively and crisp with slight honeyed and rich notes, whereas as one produced from pinot will be softer with earthy undertones and a velvety texture.
My recommendations:
Tosolini Grappa di Moscato- click here
This is a family run distillery who pride themselves on quality not quantity. Now operated by the grandchildren of the founder, Bepe Tosolini, the grappa di moscato is a light, aromatic style that shines with soft honeyed aromas and hints of blossom and mint. The palate is cleansing and delicate with a typical grapy finish. Perfect for after a rich dessert!
Po’di Poli Pinot Grappa- Click here.
Produced from Pinot grapes, aromas of dried flowers, hay & juniper leap from the glass. The palate is velvety soft with a rich, warming finish. An exceedingly elegant tipple!
With the arrival of the new year I often hear of resolutions to drink less/have a month off/only drink at weekends, which are very rarely kept to! So rather than making a promise that you may not stick to, why not simply drink better?? With government warnings on excessive drinking hard to miss, here is my guide to moderate drinking (or at least my version of moderate!):
Rule 1 – You should only ever drink for a few select reasons: a) you’re thirsty, b) to be sociable, c) you love the taste of your drink
Rule 2 – Under any circumstances do not drink: a) for the affect, b) if you dislike the taste of what your drinking
Rule 3 – Don’t rush. Drink at a steady pace, giving each drink time to take effect thus allowing you to better judge how your sobriety levels have been altered
Rule 4 – Rather than counting units or drinks, measure your sobriety on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being too drunk to hold a coherent conversation!). The aim of moderate drinking is to not drink beyond 5, perhaps reaching 7 on the odd special occasion. NEVER allow yourself to reach 8 or beyond.
Rule 5 – Each week, have 2 dry days. These are days when no alcohol is consumed, not even half a glass of wine with dinner!
Rule 6 – Give your body all the help it can get. If you’re not the sort to go for an early morning jog, a few vitamin tablets will certainly do no harm! Drink a few glasses of water when having a few drinks, particularly if you’re drinking short/neat drinks.
Rule 7 – Enjoy what you’re drinking. It’s better to drink a small amount of something fantastic than bucket loads of rubbish!
As I state in rule 7, enjoying what you drink is of the utmost importance. The range and availability of strange and exotic fruits, spices and liqueurs means that the world of cocktails is constantly evolving with new and exciting drinks ever emerging. One such liqueur is Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur:
Domaine de Canton is handcrafted in Jarnac, South West France, each batch starting from a maceration of eau-de-vie (a French term for brandies made from a fruit other than grapes) and hand picked Vietnamese baby ginger. Added to this base are VSOP and XO Grande Champagne Cognacs, Provencal honey, Tunisian ginseng and fresh vanilla beans which are blended to create an incredibly complex and smooth infusion. No artificial additives are used at any point of the process.
The natural ingredients used result in a liquid of unrivalled purity and intensity of flavour. The spiciness of the ginger is enriched by the VSOP and XO Cognacs, giving it great depth and finesse, with the honey and vanilla giving a clean, pure finish. Domaine de Canton is extremely versatile, it can be drunk neat or over ice is a wonderful ingredient in a wide range of cocktails.
Ginger Skye:
Shake the following ingredients with ice, fine strain into a chilled Martini glass & garnish with freshly grated nutmeg:
35ml Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky
15ml Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
Bar Spoon of good quality Orange Marmalade
Dash lemon juice
Dash sugar syrup
Tequila Tomcat
Muddle Cardamom pods in base of shaker, add other ingredients, shake with ice & fine strain into chilled Martini glass. Garnish with candied ginger on rim of glass:
4 Cardamom pods
35ml Tapatio Reposado Tequila
15ml Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
35ml fresh pineapple juice
Dash sugar syrup
Dark and Stormier
Build ingredients in ice filled high ball glass, top with ginger beer:
25ml Gosling’s Black Seal Rum
25ml Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
Dash fresh lime juice
Ginger Beer
How to make sugar syrup:
Gradually pour 2 cups of granulated sugar into a pan containing 1 cup of hot water. Carry on stirring as you pour in the sugar, until it has all dissolved. Don’t let the water even come close to boiling & only simmer for as long as it takes for the sugar to dissolve. Once the syrup has cooled pour it into an empty bottle and store in the fridge. This will last for a couple of months once refrigerated
Enjoy drinking in moderation!
Bob
“I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me”
Winston Churchill
Bob
“He was white and shaken, like a dry Martini”
P.G. Wodehouse
Loading... Please wait...
