While visiting your favorite Italian restaurant or taking that once-in-a-lifetime trip to Rome last summer, you might've heard Italians speak about their passion for digestifs. Though the word might sound foreign to your ears, you've most likely indulged in a digestif yourself at least once or twice. While you've probably had a sip of tangy limoncello at some point or sampled the sweet, almondy flavor of amaretto in popular cocktails, grappa is an Italian beverage that's less appreciated but rapidly growing in popularity.

The three most important things to know about grappa and other similar digestifs are that it's enjoyed after dinner, it's sipped slowly, and it's traditionally served neat. Like other digestifs, grappa is served at the end of the meal in a custom that dates back to the 16th century.