Five tips for drinking grappa in the summer

Can you drink grappa in the summer? With or without ice? When is the best time to taste it? And again, which grappas are best suited to be drunk when it’s hot?

Follow us, in this short post we will try to dispel some myths about grappa and summer, trying to figure out how to enjoy a nice glass of our favorite distillate even during the umbrella season.

1. Grappa is not drunk in summer

False. Grappa can be drunk in any season, with moderation and, above all, during the right time. Like all spirits, it dilates the blood vessels and accentuates dehydration. Therefore, it should not be drunk under the sun, during physical activities or when the temperatures are very high, because it would unnecessarily tire the body. But towards the evening, perhaps lulled by a sweet summer breeze, a glass of grappa after a meal is a real remedy. An advice: drink water before or after a grappa, it will help the body to not be under stress and dilute the alcohol concentration in the blood.

2. With or without ice?

Without ice. The melting ice would water down the distillate, ruining its intensity. The cold actually inhibits our ability to perceive tastes and aromas, drastically reducing the spectrum of our senses. Finally, the ice in the grappa would produce a sudden lowering of the temperature causing the naturally present oily essences to solidify, making the liquid appear opaque and blurring its color.

3. At what temperature can grappa be served in summer?

Some grappas, especially the younger, soft and aromatic ones, can be consumed in the summer months at slightly cooler temperatures than the ambient temperature, around 10 degrees. Therefore, you can keep the grappa for a few hours in the fridge, leaving it on the table for about ten minutes before enjoying it. This procedure makes it possible to contain the alcohol, which is more ethereal in the heat and tends to be felt predominantly. Furthermore, it is an alternative solution to ice: it does not anesthetize our taste buds and allows us to keep the perfumes, aromas and organoleptic characteristics of the distillate intact.

4. So, which grappas are suitable for the summer period?

All young grappas, white and with bright aromas such as Grappa Marolo di Barbaresco, Barbera or Dolcetto. Soft and not excessively alcoholic grappas, such as Grappa Marolo Gli alberi, those from mixed vines of Piedmont or Grappa di Arneis, made from the homonymous grapes grown on the hills of the Langhe. Finally, grappas from aromatic vines, such as Grappa Marolo di Moscato, Brachetto or Gewurztraminer.

5. And what can these grappas pair with?

We suggest you to pair them with fruit or summer desserts, at the end of a barbecue with friends, a fish-based dinner or an open-air picnic. But they can also be used as a secret ingredient in the preparation of fruit salads, mousses, granitas and fresh ice creams.