Topical Guide 841
Mark Dorset
Drinking: Marc
At Home with the Glynns, Chapter 26:
(However, as I examine the scene now, in my mind’s eye, as if from across the street, watching silently while Margot and Martha and my former self walk by, they seem to be holding me up, conducting me, and instead of playing the part of the hero, I seem to be the comic relief, the young recruit in the troupe, wet behind the ears, drunk on his first glass of marc, singing.)
Susan Manfull, “Marc: A Spirit for People Who Like It Rough,” on Provence Winezine:
Almost exclusively served as a digestif, marc is a delicious way to consummate a long dinner, especially following certain desserts (e.g., chocolate and caramel) and strong cheeses. Some people prefer it with their espresso. In the morning, this is referred to as a “corrected coffee,” although I draw the line at 2:00 a.m. and cork the bottle […]
Eau de vie de marc (its full name) is distilled from what is left over after pressing the grapes used in wine production—the skins, pulp, seeds, and sometimes stems collectively called pomace—and then aged in oak barrels, typically 10 to 20 years, giving the spirit its typically orange-ish caramel color. (The marc in Alsace, however, is clear.) The average Alcohol By Volume (ABV) is around 43%, a beverage clearly not for the faint of heart. […]
Cognac and Armagnac, although also distilled from wine, are not rough around the edges like marc. Even Calvados, distilled from cider, is usually less rustic than marc (although, in Normandy, I’ve been served Calvados, undoubtedly distilled in a neighbor’s tub, that I feared would be the last drink I swallowed). Grappa, Italy’s version of marc, is increasingly popular and more widely available outside the country’s borders.
See also:
Drinking: Cocktails, Cocktail Shakers TG 57; Drinking; Smoking TG 15; Cocktails, Old Fashioned TG 132; Cocktails: The Shirley Temple TG 150; Cocktails: The Martini TG 415, TG 416; Cocktails, Real and Fictional TG 437; Cocktails: Black Russian TG 518; Rum and Coca-Cola, Cuba Libre TG 707
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