15 Stunning Grappa Cocktails You Need to Try at Least Once

Updated at: 16-04-2026 - By: John Lau

There is something quietly magnetic about grappa. It arrives at the table in a slender glass, carrying centuries of Italian tradition in every sip, and yet today it is being poured into shakers, swirled with citrus, and layered with floral liqueurs in ways that would surprise the northern Italian farmers who first distilled it from grape pomace to stay warm through brutal Alpine winters. If you have only ever seen grappa as a digestif your nonno sipped after Sunday lunch, you are about to discover a whole new world.

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The modern cocktail renaissance has welcomed grappa with open arms. Bartenders across Milan, New York, and beyond are reaching for this pomace spirit to add depth, a subtle fruitiness, and genuine Italian soul to their drinks menus. Whether you prefer something bright and citrusy, silky and floral, or bold and bittersweet, there is a grappa cocktail waiting for you. Here are 15 of the most beautiful, bartender-approved grappa cocktails to shake, stir, and sip your way through.

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A Spirit Born from Beautiful Waste

Long before sustainable distilling became a trend, Italian winemakers were practicing it without ever calling it that. Grappa is made from pomace, the skins, seeds, pulp, and stems left behind after grapes are pressed for wine. What others discarded, northern Italians transformed into something extraordinary.

By the Middle Ages, grappa had become a common drink among peasants and farmers in northern Italy, particularly in regions like Veneto, Piedmont, and Trentino-Alto Adige. It was considered a “poor man’s drink” because it was made from the remnants of the winemaking process, materials that were otherwise discarded.

The turning point came centuries later, when a bold woman named Giannola Nonino changed everything. In the early 1970s, Giannola began making grappa from a single grape, as opposed to the customary blend of grape leftovers. She sought to make a quality drink, one to rival the great eaux-de-vie of France. She sold very little of her first 1973 production. Undaunted, she offered her grappa for free to journalists and restaurateurs, poured it herself, and told her story as she filled the glasses. That persistence changed the entire industry.

The concept of Monovitigno (single varietal) grappa originated on December 1, 1973, when Benito and Giannola Nonino created the first commercial grappa made from the pomace of a single grape variety, the native Picolit grape. This innovation revolutionised perceptions of grappa, elevating it from a poor person’s spirit to a premium-priced, sought-after distillate.

Today, there are about 130 grappa distillers in Italy, compared to the almost 200,000 distillers at the end of the 19th century. Quality has risen dramatically as quantity has consolidated. Grappa is a protected name (PGI) in the European Union and must be produced in Italy, or in the Italian part of Switzerland, or in San Marino, ensuring that every bottle carries genuine Italian provenance.

Perhaps most exciting of all, in 2020, the VE.N.TO cocktail was recognized by the IBA (International Bartenders Association) as the first grappa-based cocktail on the official IBA list, confirming once and for all that grappa has earned its rightful place in the cocktail canon.

The Grappa Cocktails Worth Making Tonight

VE.N.TO (The First IBA Official Grappa Cocktail)

This is the one that made history. Created by Roberto Pellegrini and officially recognized by the International Bartenders Association in 2020, VE.N.TO is the drink that put grappa on the global cocktail map. It is elegant, floral, and perfectly balanced, with a soft foam on top that makes it almost too pretty to drink. Almost.

Ingredients:

45 ml young aromatic grappa (Poli Morbida recommended)
22.5 ml fresh lemon juice
15 ml honey syrup (1:1 honey to warm water)
15 ml chamomile liqueur (such as Poli Elisir Camomilla)
15 ml egg white (optional, for foam)

Method: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. If using egg white, dry shake first (without ice) for 10 seconds to build foam, then add ice and shake vigorously for another 12 seconds. Double strain into a pre-chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a spiral of lemon zest and two white grapes on a skewer.

Grappa Negroni

The classic Negroni is one of the most beloved cocktails in the world, and swapping gin for grappa gives it a distinctly Italian character that feels like it was always meant to be. The pomace spirit adds a wild, slightly earthy edge that plays beautifully against the bitterness of Campari.

Ingredients:

30 ml aged grappa
30 ml Campari
30 ml sweet red vermouth
Orange peel, for garnish

Method: Fill a mixing glass with ice. Add the grappa, Campari, and vermouth. Stir slowly for 30 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Express an orange peel over the surface and drop it in as garnish.

Grappa Espresso Martini (Grappino)

Italy’s two great obsessions, coffee and grappa, finally unite in one magnificent glass. The richness of espresso, the nuttiness of amaretto, and the fire of grappa create a dessert cocktail that makes any dinner party feel like a celebration in Venice.

Ingredients:

35 ml grappa (young aromatic variety works beautifully)
20 ml coffee liqueur (Kahlua or Tia Maria)
30 ml freshly pulled espresso, cooled slightly
10 ml amaretto
Ice

Method: Pull your espresso and allow it to cool for two minutes. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake hard for 15 seconds to create the signature foam. Double strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with three coffee beans placed in the center of the foam.

Grapparita

Think of this as a margarita that studied abroad in Florence. Grappa brings a wilder, fruitier energy than tequila, and the result is something that is familiar yet completely surprising. A perfect choice if you love margaritas but want something that sparks a little more conversation.

Ingredients:

45 ml young grappa
20 ml triple sec or Cointreau
20 ml fresh lime juice
10 ml simple syrup
Salt, for the rim (optional)
Lime wheel, to garnish

Method: Rim a rocks glass with salt if desired. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add all liquid ingredients. Shake vigorously for 12 seconds. Strain over fresh ice in the prepared glass. Garnish with a lime wheel on the rim.

Grappa Tonic

Sometimes the most elegant answer is the simplest one. The Grappa Tonic is grappa’s answer to the G&T, and it turns out the answer is spectacular. The tonic water lifts the floral and fruity notes of a good Moscato grappa, making this the perfect aperitivo sip for a warm afternoon.

Ingredients:

45 ml Moscato grappa
120 ml premium tonic water (Fever-Tree or similar)
Fresh lemon juice, a small squeeze
Lemon wheel or sliced grapes, to garnish
Ice

Method: Fill a large balloon glass or highball with ice cubes. Pour the grappa over the ice. Squeeze in a little lemon juice. Gently pour the tonic water over the back of a bar spoon to preserve the bubbles. Garnish with a lemon wheel or a few thin grape slices.

The Affogato Cocktail

This is the adult version of Italy’s most beloved dessert. The classic affogato (espresso poured over vanilla gelato) gets an extraordinary upgrade with grappa, coffee liqueur, and a splash of chocolate. Serve this to guests after dinner and watch the conversation stop entirely.

Ingredients:

30 ml grappa
20 ml coffee liqueur
15 ml dark creme de cacao
1 shot of hot espresso
1 scoop of good vanilla ice cream

Method: Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a short tumbler or a wide champagne coupe. Combine the grappa, coffee liqueur, and creme de cacao in a small mixing glass and stir briefly. Pour the espresso over the ice cream, then gently pour the spirit mixture alongside. Serve immediately with a small spoon.

Grappa Sour

The sour is one of the most reliable frameworks in all of cocktail making: spirit, citrus, sweetness, foam. With grappa as the base, it becomes something deeply Italian and surprisingly versatile. A dehydrated orange slice makes it look like it belongs in a Milanese aperitivo bar.

Ingredients:

40 ml aged grappa
30 ml fresh lemon juice
20 ml vanilla-flavored simple syrup (steep a vanilla bean in warm 1:1 sugar syrup)
1 egg white or 15 ml aquafaba
Dehydrated orange wheel and a cherry, to garnish

Method: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker without ice. Dry shake vigorously for 10 seconds to emulsify the egg white. Add ice and shake again for another 12 to 15 seconds. Double strain into a coupe glass. The foam will settle on top naturally. Garnish with a dehydrated orange wheel and a cherry.

Antonella

This is the cocktail that appears on the menus of Italy’s most stylish hotel bars, and once you taste it, you will understand why. Lemony, herby, faintly sweet, and finishing with a perfumed warmth from the Galliano, Antonella is a drink that tastes like golden hour in the Amalfi Coast.

Ingredients:

35 ml Chardonnay barrel-aged grappa
15 ml limoncello
10 ml amaretto
10 ml Galliano L’Autentico
Lemon peel, to garnish
Ice

Method: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the grappa, limoncello, amaretto, and Galliano. Shake well for 12 seconds. Strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass, or strain into a chilled coupe. Express a wide strip of lemon peel over the drink, twist it, and rest it on the rim.

Grappa Gimlet with Rose

The classic Gimlet is gin and lime cordial, clean and bright and slightly medicinal in the best possible way. Adding grappa and infusing the lime juice with rose water turns this into something quietly romantic, with a floral finish that lingers.

Ingredients:

30 ml London dry gin
20 ml young grappa
20 ml fresh lime juice
10 ml rose water (or use a rose-infused lime cordial)
10 ml simple syrup
Edible rose petals or a lime twist, to garnish

Method: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice. Shake for 12 seconds. Fine strain into a chilled coupe glass. Float a few edible rose petals on the surface or twist a lime peel over the drink before dropping it in.

Grappa Prosecco Spritz

Northern Italy gave the world two great contributions to sparkling drinks culture: Prosecco and grappa. Combining them in a spritz format is almost too obvious, and yet nobody ever seems to do it. This elegant sipper deserves a place at every brunch table.

Ingredients:

40 ml Prosecco grappa (or any young aromatic grappa)
40 ml Prosecco DOC, chilled
15 ml Drambuie or a honey liqueur
20 ml fresh lime juice
2 dashes of ginger bitters
A few fresh grapes, to garnish

Method: Shake the grappa, Drambuie, lime juice, and bitters with ice. Strain into a champagne flute or coupe. Gently top with cold Prosecco. Garnish with a small bunch of green grapes on the rim.

Grappa Caffe Corretto Cocktail

The caffe corretto is the beloved Italian ritual of correcting an espresso with a small splash of grappa. This cocktail version takes that concept and turns it into a proper long drink that works at any hour of the day, though we especially love it mid-afternoon.

Ingredients:

40 ml young grappa
30 ml cold brew coffee concentrate (or cooled double espresso)
10 ml simple syrup
90 ml whole milk or oat milk
Ice
Coffee powder, to dust

Method: Combine the grappa, cold brew, and simple syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain into a tall glass filled with fresh ice. Gently pour the milk over the back of a bar spoon to create a layered effect. Dust with fine coffee powder. Serve with a long straw.

Summertime Grappa Shrub

This is the cocktail for the woman who wants something that feels both sophisticated and carefree. Moscato grappa’s natural floral sweetness pairs exquisitely with Amaro Nonino and a hit of fresh berry acidity. Bright, aromatic, and impossible to stop sipping.

Ingredients:

25 ml Moscato grappa
35 ml Amaro Nonino Quintessentia
1 dash strawberry syrup
1 dash fresh lime juice
1 dash fresh lemon juice
Strawberry or lime wheel, to garnish
Ice

Method: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all ingredients. Shake lightly (just 8 to 10 seconds) to keep the aromatics fresh. Strain over ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a fresh strawberry or a lime wheel. Best enjoyed in the sunshine.

Grappa Chamomile Honey Fizz

Chamomile tea is the ultimate wind-down ritual, and this cocktail takes those familiar calming flavors and gives them a sophisticated, sparkling upgrade. It is delicate, floral, and just effervescent enough to feel celebratory.

Ingredients:

40 ml young aromatic grappa, infused with a chamomile tea bag for 1 hour (then strained)
15 ml wildflower honey syrup (2 parts honey, 1 part warm water)
20 ml fresh lemon juice
15 ml egg white
60 ml sparkling water

Method: To make chamomile grappa, steep one quality chamomile tea bag in the grappa for one hour, then remove the bag. In a shaker, combine the infused grappa, honey syrup, lemon juice, and egg white. Dry shake for 10 seconds, then add ice and shake again for 12 seconds. Fine strain into a tall glass over ice. Top gently with sparkling water and stir once. Garnish with a tiny sprig of dried chamomile if available.

Grappa Appletini

The appletini is a pop-culture icon from the early 2000s that was due for a serious upgrade. Replacing vodka with grappa brings a genuine depth and character to what was once a one-dimensional drink. Tart, elegant, and still beautifully green, this version would make any Italian winemaker proud.

Ingredients:

45 ml young grappa
20 ml sour apple schnapps or apple liqueur
15 ml fresh lemon juice
10 ml simple syrup
1 dash of green apple juice
Thin green apple slice, to garnish

Method: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 12 seconds. Double strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a thin translucent slice of green apple placed on the rim.

Grappa al Salto

This one is steeped in Venetian history. The original Grappa al Salto was a traditional local custom in which grappa with a pinch of sugar and soda water would “jump” when the carbonation was added, creating a tiny effervescent spectacle. This modern bartender’s version, courtesy of the Cipriani Hotel in Venice, honors that tradition beautifully.

Ingredients:

60 ml young grappa
1 teaspoon fine cane sugar
8 drops of a balsamic or red wine reduction (simmered until syrupy)
60 ml chilled sparkling water
Sprig of fresh rue herb (optional), to garnish
A few raisins or dried cherries, served alongside

Method: Place the sugar and the wine reduction in the bottom of a short tumbler. Add the grappa and stir very gently to just begin dissolving the sugar. Top with cold sparkling water and watch the grappa “jump.” Add the rue herb garnish if using. Serve alongside a small dish of raisins, dried cherries, or preserved grapes in grappa.

How to Choose Your Grappa for Cocktails

Not all grappas are the same, and the type you reach for will shape the entire personality of your cocktail.

Young (Giovane) Grappa is unaged, clear, and vibrant, carrying the raw energy of the grape variety directly. It works beautifully in citrus-forward cocktails like the Grapparita or VE.N.TO where you want freshness and brightness.

Aged (Invecchiata) Grappa rests in wooden barrels for 12 months or more, picking up warmth, vanilla, and toasted notes. Reach for aged grappa when making a Negroni, a Sour, or anything that calls for the depth you would normally expect from whiskey.

Aromatic (Aromatica) Grappa is made from intensely perfumed grape varieties like Moscato, Gewurztraminer, or Malvasia. The floral, fruity notes sing in spritzes, tonic drinks, and anything with honey or elderflower.

As a general rule, look for brands like Nonino, Poli, Nardini (Italy’s oldest grappa producer, established in Bassano del Grappa in 1779), and Marolo. These distilleries represent the gold standard of Italian grappa craftsmanship and will reward your cocktail making with exceptional results.

Sources: https://chesbrewco.com
Category: Cocktails

15 Stunning Grappa Cocktails You Need to Try at Least Once Updated 06/2026

A Spirit Born from Beautiful Waste

The Grappa Cocktails Worth Making Tonight