Tag: Italy

Ritonare a Italia – for Fernet

~ Meg ~ 36 Comments

Week 21 in the Year of Drinking Adventurously! Fernet.

Yes, we’re back to Italy this week for a unique and, frankly, weird spirit – fernet. I’ve never in my travels had the opportunity to sample this digestif and Jeff’s book didn’t exactly inspire enthusiasm for the first time drinker of fernet. Here’s how he describes the flavor:

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“Imagine stuffing a handful of Good ’n’ Plenty candies in your mouth. And then chase those with a spoonful of Robitussin and a shot of Scope. That’s about as close a description as one could muster…”  Sounds great, right?

When I tried it on its own, I swear I couldn’t have described it any better!  It has notes of licorice, maybe black cherry, and a little spicy mint finish. Bizarre. And yet…. You guessed it, I kinda liked it! I’m beginning to think I’ll drink just about anything.

Fernet is made from a variety of herbs and spices which differ depending on the brand. It is classified as an amaro, a bitter, aromatic spirit.  Most fernets include myrrh, rhubarb, chamomile, cardamom, aloe and saffron, with a base of distilled grapes.

The origins of fernet are in Italy but it has become popular in Argentina. The Argentines drink fernet mixed with coke to form a simple cocktail. I am a Pepsi girl, however, so I mixed my shot of fernet in a tall glass with about 8 oz of Pepsi (ok, diet, caffeine-free Pepsi, no judging!) which made for a pretty pleasant drink. IMG_3699

Fernet has also undergone a “cult-like renaissance” among foodies and folks in the bar and restaurant business. Especially in the San Fransisco Bay area where there is a strong connection to Italian food, even serving up offerings rarely found outside Italy itself.

San Fransisco is definitely one of my favorite places in the US to visit. Food, craft beer, culture, history, beautiful scenery and some of the friendliest people in the nation. Seriously, they are a mellow bunch.

I was worried that fernet wouldn’t be available locally but apparently the “cult-like renaissance” has made it to the suburbs of Philadelphia. At the liquor store where I’ve been acquiring all the out-of-the-mainstream boozes, one of the bemused employees finally asked what I was up to. And after informing them about the Year of Drinking Adventurously, they are now excited to see me coming, eagerly waiting to hear of the latest libation. I’ve become interesting, instead of weird.  Go figure!

I hope if you have the chance, you’ll give fernet a try. You might like it as much as I. I wonder if Lula fancied fernet?

 

Veni, vidi, vici… Grappa!

~ Meg ~ 28 Comments

Week 18 in The Year of Drinking Adventurously!  Grappa!

This week the virtual booze cruise takes us to Italy to drink grappa.  This, of course, presents me with another opportunity to regale you with stories about me doing stupid stuff on foreign soil!

But first, grappa…

Grappa is made from pressed skins and seeds of the grapes used in winemaking – the refuse of the process.  It is classified as a brandy and has been consumed for about seven hundred years.  The fact is – it’s ingredients are essentially the offal of wine. Thus the traditional consumers of the product tended to be the lower classes.  According to Jeff’s book: “But like every other food or beverage wth extremely humble beginnings, it’s evolved to invite even the most discerning connoisseurs.”  51fffcpqPZL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_

Of course, there are rules as to what can be classified as grappa.  Like where it’s been produced, how it’s been produced, etc.  It is a distilled product, a spirit, not just fermented grapes.  And the distillation process has improved to the point where the end result is not the rotgut it was once reputed to be!

The traditional way to drink grappa is after a meal with a cup of expresso.  I don’t know about you all, but I can’t have caffeine after about 4:00 in the afternoon, or else I’ll be up all night (and not to get lucky) so that option was immediately off the table. Thusly, I drank it on the rocks.  (Go figure, right?)  And… was pleasantly surprised!  Maybe, because I like brandy?  I don’t know.

img_3412 Once again, I am at a loss to compare to anything else I’ve ever tried.  It doesn’t have a traditional brandy taste, it doesn’t taste like wine at all.  I even taste tested it alongside straight vodka, because, well… it is clear, after all. That makes sense, right?

Anyhoo…  I can sincerely recommend giving grappa a try.  You might not want to drink it on a regular basis, but after a nice Italian meal with some decaf expresso?  Why not?

My trip to Italy in 2009 was limited to Rome, Naples, and Pompeii.  Italy is one of those places which needs a month to properly explore.  I loved it.  Talk about the living la dolce vita.  The art, the history, the food, the wine, and most importantly — the people.

I never realized just how laid back Europeans are compared to Americans until I visited Italy.  My story is this:  it was a Friday afternoon, the sun is high in the sky.  We’ve been wandering around since lunchtime — The Pantheon, The Spanish Steps, The Trevi Fountain, The Mouth of Truth…

(I am Gregory Peck to Harry’s Audrey Hepburn.  Actually, he’s pretending I’m some random stranger in this photo…)

Needless to say, with all this walking around and accompanying silliness, we worked up a thirst.   We found a lovely little cafe (not hard to find, they’re everywhere) to stop for a drink and a rest.  And inevitably I had to visit “il bagno” before we ventured on.  Fun fact:  some Italian restrooms are co-ed.  How forward thinking of them…  And the stalls  automatically sanitize themselves.  Nifty, right?  If only they warned you ahead of time…

Imagine my surprise when, upon exiting the stall of the bathroom, I…  a) get showered with a fine spray of disinfectant, because I stopped dead at the sight of… b) a really cute guy leaning against the sink waiting his turn!  Speechless, I stared open-mouthed until smiling, he shooed me out of the way.  I may or may not have washed my hands.  But hey, I got automatically sanitized so that counts, right?

Don’t forget to visit Lula and see if she conquered grappa!

P is for Pompeii #atozchallenge

~ Meg ~ 28 Comments

Fire and ash from miles away
Buried the city of Pompeii
Choked of breath
The throes of death
The victims lie preserved to this day

I had the chance to see Pompeii in 2009. Here are a couple photos:

And the victims…


Some of the architecture:

Wall paintings, remarkably preserved.  The one on the top left is from the wall of a brothel.  Notice the fair skin of the prostitute, compared to the darker skin of her client, who spent his time out in the sun!