Grappa is the name given to pomace brandy, or marc, from Italy. Originally the invention of winemakers as a way to create new product during years of poor harvests, the leftovers of grapes after pressing are themselves distilled to produce this unique variant of brandy. In Italy, this drink which once started life as a secondary product has grown to become a much-celebrated spirit of its own, and such is the connoisseurship that single-varietal Grappa has recently become fashionable. Not well suited to mixing, Grappa is intended to be served neat, though some Italian recipes do blend it with espresso coffee.
