After my first experiences in 2015 I had a chance to visit another grappa distillery in the heart of the Friulian foothills – the distillery Bepi Tosolini. Since the first trip in this region my interest increased further towards the production of grappa, which takes place in such a short, intense window each year. Grappa is such a […]
As soon as I see a bottle of Malfy Gin I instantly start dreaming of the perfect Italian holiday: sunshine, colourful buildings, gelatos, flowers and lemon trees. In fact, the turquoise colour on the Malfy bottle actually represents the Mediterranean Sea, and the bright yellow, the beautiful Italian lemon trees. Not many people are aware […]
Last month I visited the Italian Riviera and I was very much looking forward to it as I’m a massive fan of Italy. Truth be told, the Riviera left me slightly disappointed. I felt some of the Italian charm was missing and I also felt it was very overpriced; you just didn’t get value for […]
Sharing a few drinks is a great way to get to know people as it can help to break down the language barriers or just calm the nerves when you first set foot in a new country. However, as easily as you can make friends, you can make enemies when it comes to drinking etiquette […]
Whilst Paolo, 27, from Sardinia, was teaching me how to drink Caffe Corretto properly we discussed traditional Italian drinking habits, anything from the making of grappa to the well-known Aperol Spritz. What are your first memories of spirits and alcohol growing up in Italy? I remember both my father and his father, my grandfather, distilling their […]
Italian Grappa is taken like French Brandy or Spanish Sherry, but remains very much in their shadow as it is considered by many to be nothing more than branded moonshine. Italian restaurants all over the world serve this spirit made from leftovers, the vinaccia from wine production. This in itself doesn’t mean it has to be rubbish; […]
First of all, as my blog post stresses, there’s Grappa and there’s Grappa. Take the time to find the quality brands (such as Nonino, Bocchino, Berta or Bepi Tosolini) as they are well worth the effort and are a wonderful spirit. The difference is explained through the production methods which I’ve bashed out below. Grappa […]