Ve.n.to Recipe: The IBA Grappa Sour

Ingredients

1½ oz white grappa a young, smooth white grappae.g. Nonino · Nardini · Berta · Poli
¾ oz lemon juice
½ oz honey syrup ideally made with chamomile tea
½ oz chamomile cordial
¼ oz egg white (optional)

Garnish: Lemon zest and white grapes · Ice: Ice cubes

Method

Add grappa, lemon juice, honey syrup, chamomile cordial and egg white to a shaker.
Dry shake without ice for about 10 seconds.
Add ice and shake hard for another 10 to 12 seconds.
Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice cubes.
Garnish with a lemon zest and a few white grapes on a pick.

Watch it made

Ve.n.to

Taste

Floral and honeyed with fresh grape notes, bright lemon and a gentle chamomile finish. Soft, light bodied and moderately strong.

History and origin

The Ve.n.to is a modern Italian creation and one of the newest drinks on the IBA official list, where it sits among the New Era Drinks. Its purpose is easy to read from the recipe: to show grappa, Italy's pomace brandy, as a cocktail base rather than only a digestif.

The structure is a classic sour, spirit plus citrus plus sweetener, with the honey and chamomile chosen to match the floral, fruity character of a young, unaged grappa. Compared with the older IBA classics its history is short, and little has been published about its early days, so it is best understood as part of the wider effort by Italian bartenders to bring their national spirits onto international cocktail menus.

Bartender tips

Choose a young, clean grappa from aromatic grapes; aged or very rustic grappas overpower the chamomile.
For chamomile honey syrup, dissolve honey in the same amount of strong, hot chamomile tea and let it cool.
Without chamomile cordial, use 25 ml chamomile honey syrup in total; the drink stays balanced.

Variations

Ve.n.to without egg white: Leave out the egg white for a lighter, clearer drink with a sharper finish.
Ve.n.to Spritz: An easy twist: serve it in a wine glass on ice and top with a splash of dry prosecco.