Sardinian grappa filu e ferru: the spirit with the flavor of "burning water"

A brandy with a strong and unmistakable flavour: Sardinian filu e ferro grappa is one of the most characteristic and representative distillates of the area in which it is produced.

“Grappa” wouldn't be the most exact word to identify this Sardinian typicality, which can also be produced using the fermentation of the whole grape (fermented must plus marc) as in brandy; Sardinian brandy favored by those who appreciate high alcohol content, greater than 40 degrees.

In fact, in the Sardinian region, it is common practice to always indicate with the term "grappa" both the distillates of pomace and those of wine.

A drink with a millenary history that has been used for centuries as an infallible medicine, largely the preserve of the monks, and whose beneficial properties are still recognized today, not only as a digestive.

Grappa filu 'e ferru could in fact be one of the reasons for the recognized Sardinian longevity. An elixir of long life, which offers a strong taste well represented by another term with which it has been defined: "abbardente", or "burning water".

On the other hand, the term "acqua vitae" also has a suggestive origin, deriving from the Latin "aqua vitae", or "water of life".

How is the fil e ferru made?

Filu e ferru grappa is made using exclusively Sardinian pomace and wines, among the best known and most prized of Sardinia, such as Vernaccia .

Its production generally involves a two-step distillation of the fermented must together with its marc, or just the marc. Subsequently, the permanence in oak barrels takes place to refine the alcohol content, which as we have said can even exceed 40 degrees.

Colorless in itself, the filu 'e ferru drink can also be flavored with the characteristic flavors of native plants in the area, such as wild fennel, gentian, juniper, strawberry tree, myrtle.

Therefore, to answer what Sardinian filu ferru is and how it is produced, we are referring in any case to a two-phase distillation, obtained through the use of specific stills.

How is aqua vitae made? What are the differences with the production of filu and ferru grappa?

Generally, grappa is made through the distillation process of a mixture composed of grape seeds and fresh grape skins.

Brandy, on the other hand, is produced from the fermentation of the pomace, and also of the must.

In the case of Sardinian grappa filu e ferru, we are referring to a production that can use, as in brandy, the entire grape berry.

What is Sardinian grappa called?

In Sardinia, in Italy and also abroad, grappa filu 'e ferru has become synonymous with "Sardinian grappa".

In fact it is the best known grappa in the region, one of its most representative drinks, which enclose its identity and particular history.

Its very name, the Sardinian filu 'e ferru (or filu and ferru), implies the strong interpenetration with the land in which this Sardinian brandy was born and established itself.

What does filuferru mean and why is Sardinian grappa called filu and ferru?

Filuferru (in the traditional Sardinian language, in full, filu de ferru) literally means "wire".

It is an ancient name, almost two hundred years old. It derives from the period in which it was forbidden to produce brandy, and the ingenious Sardinians equipped themselves to make it clandestinely.

It became necessary that all the accessories necessary for the production of filu 'e ferru grappa, such as the alembics and containers for the distillates, could be placed and hidden under the ground. They were previously tied together with wire, making sure that one end of the same protruded from the ground, so as to be able to later identify the location more easily.

Why did this expedient have to be resorted to?

Due to the historical moment, which saw the passage of the Kingdom of Sardinia to the Kingdom of Savoy in 1847.

This annexation produced numerous effects, including the prohibition of the production of brandy at home. Alternatively, to continue production, taxation was made mandatory as well as the acquisition of particular authorizations.

An imposition evidently not well received by the population, who started the hidden production of brandy, exploiting both the domestic cellars where it was possible to proceed with the processing, and the land as a means of hiding, when necessary, the indispensable tools for the creation of the drink - precisely, the grappa Sardinian filu and ferru.

A clandestine and illegal business, which flourished for many years.

In reunited Italy, there is still an absolute ban on the production of Sardinian brandy in one's own home, as for all alcoholic distillates.

However, the filu e ferru grappa continued to expand its fame and to guarantee a production that is an excellence of the Sardinia region. Just taste it to believe it. Buy it now on Janas Food!