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Garden lemon flavoured grappa with leaves

(Grappa al limone di giardino con le foglie)

1 litre of young grappa
1/4 of pure alcohol at 95 degrees
the skin (only the yellow part) of 3 big lemons
fresh and scented (if possible also some green leaves)
about 5 cm of cinnamon bar, crumbled
300 grams of sugar

Take a small jar with hermetic seal, put the alcohol, the cinnamon and the skins of the lemons, peeled at the moment. Close the jar and let marinate for 3 weeks, in a dark place and shaking the jar every day. After this time take a bigger jar and pour half portion of the grappa and the lemon and cinnamon flavoured alcohol, after having filtered it through a cloth. Pour the other half part of grappa in a saucepan together with the sugar and let it warm up, continuously turning until the sugar will be completely melted. As soon as the sugar is melted, switch off the heat, let it cool down, then pour in the glass jar together with the other ingredients (the ones previously mentioned), shake very well, after having closed the hermetic seal, then put in a dark place for at least one month (but if it will stay one year it is much better); after this period bottle.

This is a superb digestive, a little bit alcoholic, but very excellent in terms of efficacy and pleasantness. Presenting these types of things can seem pathetic, considering all the industrial products, which fill the shelving of the wine shops with their attracting labels. But when you will taste it, you will understand fully the reason why you have to make some efforts to prepare the spirits by yourselves.

A Giuseppe Alessi recipe
Translated by Gianna Toni
Picture by Kee-Ho Casati