1. The Life
toast By Mara Model
38 HUDSONMOD.com october/november 2014
ny renowned Italian restaurant has a carefully selected
list of digestifs, or what the Italians call digestivo—after-dinner liqueurs.
Each of these liqueurs, from sambuca and amaro to limoncello and grappa,
are meant to be served ice cold as a refreshing, palate cleanser paired with
dessert. The makers of digestifs in Italy saw the values in these elixirs
beyond their being a smooth, indulgent way to help digest food. They saw it as a way to
bring families together, by either making it or drinking it, as each sip livens and extends the
conversation. While you could go the extra mile in making these liqueurs at home, here are
two quick Italian after-drink cocktail recipes to ensure the good times continue all night.
Digestivos:
Bringing
People
Together
Limoncello
Limoncello is a lemon liqueur that originated in
Southern Italy on the Amalfi Coast and Naples. With a sweet,
tart taste, it’s the number two most sold liqueur in Italy, and is
quickly making a comeback in U.S. restaurants and homes.
“Limoncello is for people who appreciate the good life—
la dolce vita,” says James Carling, co-founder of Ventura
Limoncello. Carling and his wife Manuella Zaretti-Carling
(who is from Rome) started their handcrafted limoncello
business to give Americans a taste of their authentic
limoncello recipe. They get lemons directly from a local
grower in Ventura County, California, and then cut, peel and
mix the contents with a high proof neutral spirit themselves.
Ventura Limoncello is now avaliable in New Jersey and NYC
restaurants, such as Lupa Osteria Romana and Nobu.
Grappa
Grappa is traditionally made from pomace, the
discarded grape seeds, stalks and stems. Though the process
seems unheard of, Italians and wine enthusiasts enjoy it as a
digestif or add a little to their morning espresso to “correct”
it, or as Italians call caffè corretto. Not a fan of bitter? More
grappa distilleries are starting to use organic grapes, which
have lower acidity, resulting in a much softer taste.
Francine Stephens, co-owner of the restaurant Franny’s
Brooklyn, has focused her career on creating simple drinks
with house-made ingredients. Her quince grappa and gin
cocktail is a fragrant, elegant drink, perfect for the colder
months ahead. She notes in her cookbook Franny’s: Simple
Seasonal Italian that readers should “sip slowly” as the quince
grappa and gin is powerfully strong.
Limoncello Espresso Martini
Ingredients
1 part Ventura Limoncello Crema
1 part Crater Lake Hazelnut Espresso Vodka
1 1/2 part espresso
3 espresso beans
Instructions
Fill a cocktail a shaker with ice and add Ventura Limoncello
Crema, vodka and espresso. Shake well and strain into a
martini glass. Drop 3 espresso beans into glass.
Quince and Gin from Franny’s:
Simple Seasonal Italian
Ingredients
1 and 3/4 oz. Quince grappa
1 and 3/4 oz. Junipero gin
Stir and serve up, no garnish
Instructions
Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds with ice cubes. Add the
grappa and gin and stir gently with a bar spoon. Strain into
a chilled cocktail glass.
A
Recipe type:
Martini
Serves: 1
Recipe type:
Cocktail
Serves: 1