The "Grappa" of the Arabs

The ancient Arabs used to prepare a syrup as a refreshment, made with a kind of rhubarb, which they called Rheum Ribes, a typical plant of their region.
When they arrived in Spain and did not find this particular kind of rhubarb, they were immediately looking for a substitute. They found it in a bush that gave pleasant red and even black fruits.
They baptized the plant with the name current; much later this term was picked up by Linnaeus, who classified the plant into two types: the red and the black currant.
Obviously it were not only the Arabs who appreciated these fruits. The use of currants has been shown since the first half of the second century BC, especially as a flavor enhancer.

Still today the currant syrup is a particularly appreciated refreshment as well as an indispensable sweetener in the production of medicines. It should also be mentioned that the currant syrup is a medicine, as it contains a considerable amount of vitamin C and laevulose.
It is obvious that two different varieties of currant (at least in color) require the production of two different grappas.

- two handful ripe fruits of blackcurrant
- 1 liter of Grappa
- sufficient water
- 1 teaspoon of sugar

In both cases you need two handful ripe fruits for a liter of Grappa, then place them in the sun for two months and after the filtration you let age the Grappa for three months.
The obtained liqueurs are reminiscent of the used fruits, both in the sweet-sour taste and in the color.
The Grappa of the redcurrant assumes a bright red color and that of the blackcurrant a black color.
Both are used as a refreshing drink, of course mixed with a suitable amount of water and a teaspoon of sugar.