TCV Craft Spirits Book

Grappa: Italy’s Firewater

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The potent firewater called grappa (literally “grape stalk”) was originally produced in the mountainous Friuli region, and has anesthetized generations of Northern Italians. Grappa is made from the fermented leftovers of the grape-crushing wine process. While it may not sound that delectable, the clean and fragrant flavour of the drink is utterly enchanting. The firewater was long known as aqua vitae, the “water of life,” for its purported medicinal and restorative properties. Over the ages it was believed to do everything from reviving the vital spirits, warming the belly (undoubted), relaxing the brain, sharpening the intellect, and clearing the vision to removing bodily impurities, repairing memory, prolonging life, and even curing the plague. The only benefit now touted—aside from inflicting raging intoxication— is its role as the ultimate digestivo —TRAVELBRAIN.US

Brandy: Pisco

CONTROL CHILE In 1931, in the Limarí Valley of Chile, a triple distilled premium C PISCO was born.

Control C Pisco 80pf #169753 / 750ml / $21.53

What exactly is Pisco, anyway? Pisco is a type of brandy, which is to say that it’s a spirit distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice. Beyond that, it’s far removed from, and in some ways even diametrically opposed to, the type of brandy that most people conjure up in their heads, namely, well-aged Cognac. “...Cognac is made by oak, ...pisco is made by God!” ... one of the key regulations of pisco is that it cannot be aged in wood at all. EATER.COM Pisco Control C is the only pisco which is distilled three times in copper alembics, creating a pure and transparent quality product. Distillation takes around 10 hours, and according to Chilean law, it is discontinuous. This means, it should only be made in copper stills. Through this, you can separate head, heart and tail. The heart or body is the base of pisquero alcohol. Pisco Control C is a product elaborated mainly from the finest grapes: Pedro Jimenez and Moscatel. These grapes come from the Limarí Valley in Chile, a land inhabitated by the Diaguita Culture, very well known for their worship to the sun.

Traditional botijas, or simply “piscos,” used to store pisco

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