Spirits

The strong, clear distilled spirit known as grappa is made by distilling the grape residue (mainly the skins, but also the stems and seeds) left over from winemaking after pressing, and is between 37.5% and 60% alcohol by volume. The flavour of grappa, like wine, depends on the type and quality of the grape used as well as the fine details of the distillation process. In the Veneto, after finishing a cup of espresso with sugar, a few drops of grappa are poured into the nearly empty cup, swirled, and drunk down in one mouthful.