Ratafià was one of the major liquors of Alatri during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and was used to sanction trade agreements or at the conclusion of notarial and legal acts.
The term ratafià indicates any type of liquor composed of an infusion made with fruit juices and alcohol.
The origin of the name is shown in the text "Memories on how to manufacture wines and spirits" (Teramo, 1868): “the name was given to that use which formerly the ambassadors of the belligerent powers had when dealing with peace at a bountiful table, drinking this liquor and uttering those simple Latin words Pax rata fiat".
Ratafià is made with sour cherries, soaked in the sun for forty days in red wine, and with the addition of alcohol and sugar.
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