Nardini, and Nonino. These grappas are produced in significant quantities and are exported; there are also many small local or regional grappas. Most grappa is clear, indicating it is an unaged distillate, though some may retain very faint pigments from their original fruit pomace. Lately, aged grappas have become more common, and these take on a yellow or red-brown hue from the barrels in which they are stored. Grappa is also well known in Uruguay and Argentina, due to the significant Italian immigration in those countries. It is served as in Italy, after the main meals. In Uruguay, a local version called grappamiel has also been created, which sees honey added to the traditional grappa. It is widely served and mostly drunk in winter because it "warms" the throat. History Distillation is an ancient practice that can be traced back to the first century AD. The distillation of alcohol may have been carried out reliably by al-Kindī (c. 801–873 CE), al-Fārābī (c. 872–950), and al-Zahrāwī (Latin: Abulcasis, 936–1013), as well as by the School of Salerno in the 12th century. Grappa is traditionally produced in Northern Italy and is also widely consumed in places such as Argentina, Bulgaria, Georgia (chacha), Uruguay, Galicia (orujo or aguardiente in Spanish) and Portugal (known as bagaço). There is a legend that tells of a Roman soldier who first distilled grappa in the northern Italian town of Bassano del Grappa using distilling equipment stolen in Egypt ("Crisiopea di Cleopatra" 2nd century AD). However, the story cannot be considered reliable as such equipment could not produce grappa. Distillation useful for producing beverages was not discovered until the eighth century, and it likely took about two more centuries for the technology to travel from its home in the Levant and Persia to Italy (likely by route of the Crusades). Around 1300–1400 AD, however, the introduction of water as a coolant in the distilling equipment made it possible to produce a substantially larger amount of distilled wine and to distill pomace. Around 1600 AD, the Jesuits in Spain, Italy and Germany studied and codified the techniques used to produce brandy or grappa, and their methods were used until recent times. The Museum of Wine and Grappa shows historical equipment used in the early years of grappa distillation. The modernisation of grappa distillation is relatively recent, probably in 1979 in Northern Italy. Initially it was carried out by direct