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by Sara Faith Alterman |
February 20, 2009
Grappa
novices are often wary of this sturdy spirit, and with good reason. The
grape brandy, distilled from the fruit “offal” (e.g., skins, stems, and
seeds) left over after pressing grapes for wine, is one of the many
epicurean prides and joys of Italy, but it can hit your palate so
powerfully that it feels like you’ve just been on a nose-candy bender
with an aging punk rocker. Still, developing a taste for this strong
stuff can be enjoyable, especially if you ease into it as a cocktail
component before starting to knock it back straight, as a digestivo
(the way Italians do after a sumptuous meal). BiNA osteria (581
Washington Street, Boston, 617.956.0888) employs grappa in its Bassano
Mule cocktail ($10), a fruity Italian twist on the Dark ’n’ Stormy:
spicy ginger beer with Nardini Tagliatella, which is an infusion of
grappa and cherry juice, with a hint of citrus.
At Prezza (24 Fleet Street, Boston,
617.227.1577), grappa kicks up another cocktail classic, in the
Grappagroni ($12.50), inspired by the beloved Negroni, which calls for
gin, vermouth, and Campari. Prezza’s version mixes Nonino Moscato
grappa, Punt e Mes, and sweet vermouth, garnished with a slice of
orange. Bellissimo. ...
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