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| Cat Bauer sipping a Nardini Mandorla Sour at PalazzinaG Photo: Marina Breeze |
(Venice, Italy) I finally have a cocktail! It's called a Mandorla Sour, and it's made with Nardini Mandorla grappa. It tastes like almonds and cherries, two of my favorite flavors. It is divine.
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| Meredith O'Shaughnessy of Meredith Bespoke |
Grappa is an everyday drink here in Italy, but many people in other parts of the world have never experienced it. From Wikipedia:
Grappa is made by distilling the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems (i.e., the pomace) left over from winemaking after pressing the grapes. It was originally made to prevent waste by using these leftovers. A similar drink, known as acquavite d'uva, is made by distilling whole must.
Grappa is now a protected name in the European Union. To be called grappa, the following criteria must be met:
- (1) Produced in Italy, or in the Italian part of Switzerland, or in San Marino
- (2) Produced from pomace
- (3) Fermentation and distillation must occur on the pomace—no added water
So, you can see that the production of grappa and acquavite is strictly controlled here in Italy. Add the name Nardini to that, and you get one of the finest beverages you can drink. (Nardini is a distiller who does not use stems in their pomace.)
Bortolo Nardini founded Acquavite Nardini back in 1779 in Bassano del Grappa, where grappa itself was invented. He bought an inn at the entrance of the famous Ponte Vecchio, the covered wooden bridge on the River Brenta, which was designed by the renowned architect Andrea Palladio in 1569. From the Nardini website:
Bortolo Nardini founded Acquavite Nardini back in 1779 in Bassano del Grappa, where grappa itself was invented. He bought an inn at the entrance of the famous Ponte Vecchio, the covered wooden bridge on the River Brenta, which was designed by the renowned architect Andrea Palladio in 1569. From the Nardini website:
Nardini is also a member of Les Hénokiens, an international group of family-owned companies that are at least 200 years old. Here is an excerpt from a December 16, 2004 article in The Economist entitled The World's Oldest Companies - The Business of Survival - What is the Secret of Corporate Longevity:
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| Antonio Nardini Photo: Marina Breeze |
Each year representatives of the 33 member companies, from seven countries, gather for three days of fun and discussion. This year's host was Ditta Bortolo Nardini, an Italian grappa distillery founded in 1779.
To me, it was fitting that I should discover a cocktail made by Nardini, Italy's oldest distillery, during Carnevale, one of Venice's most ancient celebrations, at PalazzinaG, a hotel that transports the magic of past centuries into a contemporary setting. Here are some more photos:
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| Nardini Mandorla Sours are Poured Photo: Marina Breeze |
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| Angeline & Brad - NOT! Photo: Cat Bauer |
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| Dancers in Masquerade Photo: Marina Breeze |
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| Group at PalazzinaG Bar Photo: Marina Breeze |
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| Sharla Ault - Nardini rep Photo: Marina Breeze |
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| Cat Bauer wears mask by La Bottega dei Mascareri Photo: Marina Breeze |
Jewellery by Ganesha - Gems of Venice
Masks by La Bottega dei Mascareri
Go to Acquavite Nardini: http://www.nardini.it and I Love Grappa blog
Go to PalazzinaG: http://www.palazzinag.com
Ciao from Venice,
Cat
I finally have a cocktail! It's called a Mandorla Sour, and it's made with Nardini Mandorla grappa. It tastes like almonds and cherries, two of my favorite flavors. It is divine.
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