It has a long tradition in these parts, descended, some say, from Saracen fig brandies.  Traditionally, grappa is aged in wood casks to tame its fire and round out the flavor and aroma.  Just as old is the idea of steeping the spirit in mountain flowers or herbs like camomile or mint.  Country women also make their own liqueurs by steeping summer fruit in grappa.

 

People share their friendship, discuss life and evolution over espresso and grappa. Especially in two major wine regions of Italy, Friuli and Piemonte, grappa is a way to celebrate.'' It warms up the engine in the morning, staves off cold in winter, and is taken as an aid to digestion after meals.

Grappa has long been considered a restorative, used as a tonic against fatigue or the grippe.  For bronchitis or constipation, grappa is often the home remedy.  ''For a toothache, you took a sip of grappa, and let it sit on the affected tooth,'' said Lidia Bastianich, a New York restaurateur who grew up in the region called Friuli-Venezia-Giulia.  ''Grappa was used on cuts, and as a rubdown for rheumatic pains, too.''

Grappa also plays a role in the kitchen.  A typical antipasto in Piemonte is bross, soft ewe's milk cheese fermented with garlic and grappa, and served with yardlong grissini, or breadsticks.  Thick-skinned potatoes are baked in embers, slit open and splashed with grappa just before serving.