Spirits

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From Production in Monastery Kitchens to Industrial Production

Starting around the year 1000, pharmacists and monks began producing spirits. At that time, they only knew the process of wine fermentation, so the alcohol content did not exceed 16 volume percent. In 1167, Magister Salernus succeeded in distilling wine: he separated the pure alcohol from the non-combustible wine components. The Regensburg bishop Albertus Magnus significantly developed this first distillation process from the mid-13th century. He is particularly credited with the invention of the still, which serves to collect the resulting alcoholic vapors. Until the 15th century, brandy was used exclusively as medicine. Only gradually did the strongly alcoholic drink become a pleasure beverage. In regions where no wine was available, brandies were eventually also produced from fruits, grains, and roots.

The development of increasingly better distillation devices was accompanied by an increase in various types of distilleries - in the south, there were more fruit distilleries and in the north, more grain distilleries. The first brandy monopoly law from 1919 goes back to Emperor Wilhelm II. The second law came into effect in 1922. In 2013, the German Bundestag decided to abolish the brandy monopoly (by the end of 2017). Alcoholometers, which must comply with EU regulations, are used to determine the alcohol content.

Modern methods for producing spirits

The starting product is always an alcohol-containing liquid that is separated into water, alcohol, and flavorings by distillation. Since the individual components have different boiling points, they turn into a gaseous state at different temperatures. For example, ethanol evaporates at 78.3 degrees Celsius and flavorings at about 78.5 degrees Celsius. The resulting vapors condense by subsequent cooling. The distillation process can be divided into three phases: heads, hearts, and tails. The hearts phase is the most important part because it is about obtaining what is ultimately usable. The distillation process is followed by storage of the distillate and bottling. In the past, it was common to obtain spirits through two distillation processes. In the first distillation process (stripping run), water, alcohol, and flavorings were taken from the mash. In the second distillation process (spirit run), the goal was to remove drinking alcohol and flavors from undesired and harmful substances such as methanol and fusel oil.

Fruit Brandies and Fruit Spirits

Fruit brandy (fruit water) is produced by first fermenting as ripe fruit as possible. During the fermentation process, alcohol is produced by adding yeast bacteria. The chosen yeast strain determines the resulting taste of the fruit brandy. The resulting fruit wine after adding yeast is then distilled. It is important to enrich the distillate with quite a few flavorings. On the one hand, the best fruit quality is required, and on the other hand, the distiller must show craftsmanship. In general, a higher sugar content of the fruit leads to a higher alcohol content. Fresh fruit is absolutely necessary for the production of fruit spirits. The aroma is extracted from the fruit by adding a neutral distillate (high-purity alcohol). Then, distillation takes place. Fruit spirits are always produced when the available fruit has a rather low sugar content and processing into mash is not very profitable.

In our online shop for food, you will find simple fruit brandies in the subcategory of fruit water, for whose production several types of fruit were used, but also specialties like Williams-Christ Pear Water. So, if you enjoy a fruit brandy from time to time, your favorite is certainly also available.

Brandy from Wine and Byproducts of Wine Production

Distillates made from wine have been known for over 1,000 years. The English term brandy wine resulted from the Middle Low German word brandew?n. In Germany, it was customary at the beginning of the 20th century to refer to wine brandy as Cognac regardless of the region of origin. Accordingly, the term wine brandy only exists for about 100 years. According to current EU regulations, wine brandy and brandy are now equivalent. Brandy must have an alcohol content of at least 36 percent by volume. In addition, wine brandy must be aged in oak barrels for at least half a year. However, maturity times of one year or longer are common. The highest quality wine brandies have often matured for at least eight years.

While grapes are used for wine brandy/brandy, already pressed grape skins are used for pomace and grappa. After fermentation, distillation also takes place in this case. Although storage in oak barrels is not mandatory, it has a positive effect on the taste. While pomace is not very widespread in this country, it is highly appreciated in French wine-growing regions (under the name "Marc de ?") as well as in Italian wine-growing regions ("Grappa"). This online shop lets you choose between pomace and brandy.

Grain Brandies and Other Brandies

Corn and double grain are among the most popular schnapps in Germany. To produce them, a grist mill is required first. The ground grain is mixed with hot water to form a sour mash. The addition of malt achieves the saccharification of the grain starch. After the sweet mash has cooled, it is fermented with yeast. It is only after the formation of drinkable alcohol that distillation takes place. For grain brandies and brandies made from roots (such as gentian) or tubers (such as Jerusalem artichoke), it is also generally advantageous to store them in oak barrels. To make whiskey, the grain must first be malted before grinding.

Liqueur - The Sweetest Type of Spirit

Typically, liqueurs (derived from the Latin word "liquor") contain at least 100 grams of sugar per liter. The alcohol content usually ranges between 15 and 40 percent by volume. The flavored wines, which were already drunk in ancient Rome and Greece, are considered forerunners of the liqueurs appreciated today. Like sweets, liqueurs were reserved for wealthy citizens from their discovery in the Middle Ages until the 18th century. The reason was the very high price of sugar. As soon as sugar became affordable for all population groups, more and more distillers began making liqueurs. In particular, liqueur recipes were successfully implemented during the 19th century. Some of these tried and tested recipes can still be found today. Best examples are Cointreau and Grand Marnier.

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