In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Moved to : Italiauncovered.co.uk
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
I have sampled illegal home-made distilled licquors from Ireland (potato), Slovenia (grape), Tennessee (corn?), Serbia (grape), Turkey (wheat or rice?) and Iran (wheat or rice?) and, without exception, all were extremely unpalatable, and only drinkable with dedicated persistence.
I'd expect home-made grappa to be similar...
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
I don't know about home made Grappa - but home made limoncella is 'to die for'.
I first had this in a hotel near Sorrento - been a fan ever since
.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
There's a whole discussion on making Limoncello here including recipes - [url=http://www.italian-fever.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=733]Home made 'Limoncello' - Italian Fever Forums[/url]
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[quote=Sally Donaldson;94764]Anyone here tried to make it??
(ANSA) - Rome, August 12 - Two Northern League senators on Tuesday began a campaign to make distilling northern Italy's famous Grappa spirit at home legal.
Enrico Montani and Sergio Divina presented a bill that would allow people to make up to 30 litres of Grappa a year as long as they abide by h[B]ygiene[/B] regulations and did not sell it.
According to the senators, neighbouring Austria permits home spirit production, but it is forbidden in Italy for hygiene and fiscal reasons.
………………………..
The aim of the bill is to bring home-made Grappa production out into the open and to outline a code of [B]hygiene,[/B] while safeguarding the business of authorised Grappa producers.
[/quote]
I have sampled a few home made Grappas and some were better than others but one thing they all had in common was that you could strip paint with them!
No bugs could possibly survive so I think the hygiene argument is a red herring, this is just a way for the government to tax what they know they can’t stop.:laughs:
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[quote=alan h;94788]I don't know about home made Grappa - but home made limoncella is 'to die for'.
I first had this in a hotel near Sorrento - been a fan ever since
.[/quote]
If you PM me I'll forward my recipe to you. I was taught how to make it by a very strict Italian lady. A bottle is kept in the freezer and it is forte e buonissimo!
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Hey Noble. Could, you not copy, paste and post it here??? lol
grappa
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 08/13/2008 - 07:58In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
This topic could start a long debate as to the desirability of drinking a liquid that in my opinion tastes very similar to distilled squirrel pee. ( has anyone tried that) if you have you will see the similarity.Italian friends have tried without success to impress me with there latest brew,this has always been a great diappointment.I wonder if anyone else has had the same experience.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
On a more serious note it is actually possible to poison yourself and others if you don't know what you are doing.I think a dangerous chemical compound can be produced during the distilling process ??
Anyway ordering a fruit press for the uk I came across a copper still for sale on the same site with the instruction that it could only be used in Italy and in other EU countries it was 'for display only'! So I pressmed it wasd legal to distill wine etc into spirts in Italy.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Considering the need for spent wine grape skins, extensive equipment, premises, expertise, experience & passion I can't see why anyone on this forum would even be bothered to consider making the stuff, but....................if you know of any one that makes the good stuff, get me his number.
Coincidentaly........ Limoncello. Suspend on string a lemon(unwaxed) over a half litre of 95% alcohol for, was it 10 or 20 days? can't remember. Anyway, lemon goes dry & woody & alcohol goes yellow, lucid & lemony. Adjust with equal measure of sugar syrup to taste. Recipe told to me by Calabresi cousin living in Milan. Keep buying lemons but they keep getting used for frivilous purposes.
Pilch
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Hmm, I thought distilling was legal up to 10l; or so I was told by a ferramenta which had a lovely copper still in the window. How they control that I've no idea!;-)
I've had lovely home made genepi, nocino, liquore al menta but I presume they were based on infusions using the dirt cheap alcohol or grappa you can buy. Not sure there's much point in doing your own, to be honest. Now the local apples on the other hand....
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Le Marche has a thriving tradition of Mistra, which is anise flavoured.
Since for many here "the law is a book in the library" there are many grades and tastes. Some is suitable only for fuel, some for "caffe corretto" and some makes a wonderful digestivo.
Actually, Sally, "grappa" is made in quite a few other countries under different names and quite a few of these varieties are "home made", usually the best ones. In Spain, it is known as "orujo", in Peru it is "pisco" and so on....
Here are some details:
[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orujo]Orujo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/url]
So by allowing the home production of this drink they are only putting a stamp of approval for something that has been done for centuries in many places around the world..... A bit late....