The Secret Booze of Santu Lussurgiu

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In many households across Sardinia, a super strong, fennel-flavored drink called filu ‘e ferru is still produced illegally.

Known as “iron wire,” filu ‘e ferru is an old drink with a high alcohol concentration that can knock out even those with a high tolerance.

In 1970, Rosa Maria Scrugli was sent to the small town of Santu Lussurgiu in Sardinia, where this drink is made.

Santu Lussurgiu has been producing filu ‘e ferru for 400 years and is considered the cradle of the oldest Sardinian tradition of “acquavite.”

Scrugli recalls her first experience with the drink, which left her with a terrible hangover.

Filu ‘e ferru is also known as “abbardente” and has been considered an “outlaw” drink since the 19th century when taxes were introduced on alcohol production.

The drink was originally used for its medicinal properties but soon became popular as a beverage.

Abbardente and acquavite are just synonyms for filu ‘e ferru, a metaphorical name that was created to refer to acquavite and avoid police controls.

In the 1800s, the Italian government introduced taxes on alcohol production, making filu ‘e ferru an illegal trade.

To avoid authorities, residents would hide their bottles and stills, giving the drink its name “iron wire.”

The name “iron wire” may have been inspired by the nearby volcanic mountain range called Montiferru — the “iron hill.”

Unlike other Sardinian liquors, Santu Lussurgiu’s filu ‘e ferru is distilled from wine instead of marc.

Carlo Psiche, the only legal distiller in Santu Lussurgiu, uses real wine in his distillation process.

While the production of filu ‘e ferru used to be clandestine, it is now less risky and many villagers still make it at home.

The fennel seeds used in the production of filu ‘e ferru would occasionally give away illegal producers to the police.

The villagers used coded signals to warn each other when the authorities were conducting raids.

Locals eventually decided to go underground and hide their production of filu ‘e ferru.

Santu Lussurgiu had 40 distilleries by the late 1800s, exporting filu ‘e ferru across Italy. However, the distilleries were shut down and production became domestic.

Carlo Psiche revived the old tradition of acquavite production in Santu Lussurgiu 20 years ago.

Psiche’s abbardente is made from fresh local white grapes and is aged for at least 12 months.

There are two versions of Psiche’s abbardente: a clear variant diluted with water and an amber-colored variant aged in oak barrels.

Psiche’s distillery showcases old distillation objects and has an original bottle of acquavite from 1860.

The villagers of Santu Lussurgiu have been making filu ‘e ferru at home for generations.

The drink is not only reserved for special occasions, but some locals enjoy it at any time of the day.

One woman from Santu Lussurgiu distills filu ‘e ferru at home using her grandparents’ alembic.

The woman spends half a day distilling the wine from her land, adding fennel and sometimes absinthe.

It seems that the younger generation is getting involved in the production of filu ‘e ferru, ensuring the preservation of this traditional drink.

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