Liquid Treasures

STUTTGART – The art of burning and distilling has a long tradition in southern Germany with its numerous meadow orchards, orchards and wineries. More than half of the approximately 24,000 small German distilleries are based in Baden-Württemberg. A number of award-winning gins have joined Schnapps and brandies made from local fruit in recent years. It is less well known that first-class whiskey, beer brandy, and vodka are also produced in this country. With this variety, the choice is difficult.

Pear Apertif - Birnoh

“The variety of pear aromas with its own unique impact” is the promise of the pear apéritif "Birnoh." It is created with only the oldest pear varieties. There is no single distillery behind the aromatic drink, rather the "Birnoh-Gilde," an association of Baden-Württemberg brewers and distillers, actually creates it. The members of the guild have committed themselves to a common manufacturing process, uniform quality criteria, and confidentiality regarding the details of production. In 2016, they were awarded the Baden-Württemberg Agricultural Prize for Entrepreneurial Innovations for their joint commitment.

birnoh.de

Swabian Whiskey from the Alb

First-class whiskey is not only produced in the Scottish Highlands, but also in the low mountain range of the Swabian Alb. Because there are now numerous distilleries there, you can discover them on the Swabian Whiskey Walk through the varied landscape of the Lauter Valley - including whiskey tastings. In addition, there are many other opportunities to taste the special spirit in the Owen area below Teck Castle and beyond. For example, the Swabian whiskey ambassador and fine brandy sommelier, Angela Weis, regularly invites visitors to tastings in the Tübingen shop "Silberburg am Markt." It gets even more sociable at the Swabian Whiskey Day, which traditionally takes place on October 1st in Tübingen.

schwaebischer-whisky.com

Josefslust and Goldelse

After a hearty meal, you often need a clarifying digestif. An old, well-kept recipe from over 40 selected herbs, roots, and wild berries gives the herbal liqueur "Josefslust" from Sigmaringendorf its fruity, harmonious taste. The high-proof liqueur is named after the wildlife park of the same name of the noble house of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. If you prefer something milder, you can reach for a real classic for dessert, which not only tastes good at Easter: The "Goldelse" egg liqueur from Stuttgart gets its intensive aroma from fresh eggs from Ostfildern, cream from Schwäbisch Hall, and real bourbon vanilla. There are no additives or experimentations, so it tastes like grandma made it.

josefslust.com; goldelselikoer.de

Stylish spruce and rosemary spirit

Fancy a walk in the woods or a herb garden in your mouth? Then the Schnapps "Nadelwald Fichtengeist" and "Gartenkräuter Rosmaringeist" from the range of the "Stilvol" brand in Laupheim in Upper Swabia are to be recommended. The four friends and self-proclaimed village children, Danny, Markus, Jessi, and Markus, created the brand to preserve and redesign the tradition of their homeland. The spirits are made by hand in various small rural distilleries. The four of them take care of the design and marketing personally. They have a stylish bottle design and an online tasting that also works as a drinking game.

stilvol.de

Brandies from Burgunderhof at Lake Constance

His spirits are stored in wooden barrels for several years and are among the best noble waters that you can get in Baden-Württemberg. Heiner Renn is one of the most experimental fruit growers from Lake Constance. As the son of a family of winegrowers with over 300 years of experience, the organic fruit farmer and distiller from Hagnau committed himself to the traditions of his profession early on. Between November and December, he retreats to his distillery and experiments with his products. Distilling Schnapps and the instinct for it seem to be in his blood, and he regularly outperforms big competitors with his creations.

burgunderhof.de

Rothaus Black Forest Single Malt and Hopfentraum

Everyone drinks the beer from the Baden State Brewery Rothaus, and not just those from Baden-Württemberg. The legendary “pinecone beer,” in particular, enjoys great popularity far beyond national borders. But much more is created from the beer and ingredients in the highest brewery in Germany than just beer. Under the supervision of the Kammer-Kirsch distillery, for example, the Rothaus Black Forest Single Malt is created there. This whiskey has a balanced taste and has already won the grain brandy various awards. Another creation is the “hop dream,” a distillate from Pils and Märzen, an especially strong beer, which is supplemented with hops oil.

rothaus.de/en

„Wudka“ from Kaiserstuhl

Out of a lot of grapes and some potatoes, a special spirit is created in the Arndt Köbelin winery on the Kaiserstuhl: Kaiserstuhl “Wudka” which is distilled no less than twelve times. As the inspiration for the unusual by-product came from Poland, the "u" in "Wudka" stands for the spoken "ó" in the Polish equivalent and the bottle shape is also based on the Polish model of old apothecary bottles. The clear Schnapps is traditionally best enjoyed with friends and should not be missing from any celebration. If you like it hearty or need a base, you can also enjoy it in the form of air-dried "Wudka-Bites" or "Wudka-Ham."

wudka.eu

Boar Gin from the Black Forest

The Black Forest Burgundy truffle used to be known far beyond the country's borders, but then fell into oblivion. In search of an unmistakable flavor for their distillate, the makers of "Boar Gin" from Bad Peterstal-Griesbach came across this relic from the old days. Today, they obtain this taste from truffle plantations in the Black Forest and use it to give their gin, which is distilled with Black Forest spring water, its characteristic aroma. Numerous juries have already awarded the gin with the mighty boar on the label for its uniqueness. In 2022, it was not only "Gin of the Year," but also "Spirit of the Year" making it the most awarded gin in the world.

boargin.de/en