On its own, homemade grape brandy is firewater. Sardinia’s version of it even goes by that name in one dialect, abbardènte. Another name for this stiff beverage, and the most common one, is Filu ‘e Ferru, which means “strand of wire,” a nod to the way islanders would mark their hidden stash and distilling equipment in fields and orchards to evade the authorities, who banned such production. Filu ‘e ferru clocks in at around 50% ABV and is a popular digestif in the Sardinian countryside. These days you can find it in a variety of flavors, but a favorite of mine is infused with wild fennel or fennel seeds to aromatize the liquid with anise-y flavors. Cultivated fennel fronds work well, too.