The Grand Finale (Of Any Delicious Meal)

A digestivo or liqueur was as routine a part of dinner at Grandma’s as the little cups of “demitasse” (what we called espresso) that appeared at the end of the meal. Most often it was a bottle of anisette (with a few drops in the caffe’ for good measure) that was set down next to the little glasses Grandpa pulled from the cabinet over the sink. The stringent licorice bite of an anisette shot still shoots me back to those memorable Sundays with my noisy, extended family.

Here in Chianti, grappa is most often offered to top off the meal. As you travel south, it’s a taste of limoncello that’s likely to show up at the end of your meal. It surprises me that now, even in Venice or Florence, a restaurant may offer what I call “grown up lemonade” as an after dinner treat!

Of course, it was believed that this shot of almost medicinal alcohol, whether grappa, anisette or limoncello, would help digestion. Just as important, I think, was a simple desire to prolong the meal and the socializing.

When David and Deb were here, David reminded me of this part of our heritage and introduced me to another digestivo - Mirto. David unwrapped a bottle of this unique liqueur, derived from the berries and/or leaves of the myrtle plant and poured us each a shot of the intense red liquid. It’s spicy and bittersweet and finishes with a tang, perfect for an after dinner drink.

Curious about this bottle that now shares space in my freezer with a bottle of limoncello, I learned it is most associated with Sardinia. Mirto, credited with not just assisting digestion but with strong anti-inflammatory properties, is said to be helpful for everything from cystitis to psoriasis, gingivitis and insomnia and even hemmorhoids! If you need to find a reason to indulge, I am sure you can find some ailment that fits! Cin cin!