Poured in the warm, candlelit dining room of Grappa in Queen Anne, Seattle, Luxardo Grappa Bianca is a graceful close to an Italian meal. To be clear from the start: this is the house’s white grappa from Luxardo’s Grappa Bianca selection, not the celebrated Luxardo Maraschino cherry liqueur. It is a crystal-clear Italian spirit distilled from grape pomace, the elegant after-dinner pour that gives our restaurant its name.
About the Distillery
Girolamo Luxardo was founded in 1821, when Girolamo Luxardo began producing his now-legendary Maraschino liqueur in Zadar, on the Dalmatian coast. After the upheavals of the Second World War, the family rebuilt the distillery in Torreglia, in the Euganean Hills of Italy’s Veneto region near Padua, where it remains one of Europe’s oldest family-run liqueur houses. More than two centuries on, Luxardo is treasured worldwide for its Maraschino, its dark Marasca cherries, and a refined portfolio of liqueurs and grappa.
Style & Production
Grappa is a quintessentially Italian spirit, distilled from the vinaccia, the grape skins and pomace left after winemaking. Luxardo draws on the grapes of the Euganean Hills surrounding the distillery, pressing and distilling the pomace in the Veneto tradition to preserve fresh, vivid aromatics. The Bianca, or bianca-style, expression is bottled clear and unaged, rested in glass or steel rather than wood, so the bright, true character of the grape carries straight through to the glass.
Tasting Notes
Luxardo Grappa Bianca pours clear and limpid, with a faintly oily sheen in the glass. The nose is clean and floral, with delicate notes of ripe grape, orchard fruit, and a whisper of crushed pomace. On the palate it is smooth and warming, gently aromatic, finishing dry, rounded, and clean. Serve it lightly chilled or at cool room temperature to let those fine aromatics open.
What to Pair It With
A clean grappa is the classic partner to dolci and coffee. Let it follow Mama’s Tiramisu or a slice of Flourless Chocolate Cake, where its dry warmth cuts richness beautifully. It is equally lovely beside Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta or a scoop of house gelato. Explore the full dine-in menu for more pairings.
How It’s Served at Grappa
Luxardo Grappa Bianca is poured as a digestif at $13, served as a neat after-dinner pour to send you off on an elegant note.
FAQ
Where is it from?
Luxardo is made in Torreglia, in the Euganean Hills of Italy’s Veneto region near Padua, where the family-run distillery has stood since rebuilding after the Second World War. The company was originally founded in 1821 in Zadar on the Dalmatian coast.
What does it taste like?
It is clear and smooth, with clean floral and ripe-grape aromas, a gentle warmth on the palate, and a dry, rounded, clean finish. We serve it lightly chilled so its delicate aromatics shine.
Is this the maraschino liqueur?
No, this is Luxardo’s grappa, a clear unaged Italian spirit distilled from grape pomace, not the sweet Luxardo Maraschino cherry liqueur. We pour it as an after-dinner digestif.
Ready for an evening in Queen Anne? Book a table, browse the cocktail & spirits list, and explore the dine-in menu.
