Overlook that cloying fruit brandy you clandestinely sipped out of your grandparents’ liquor cupboard. From Austria to Mexico, a brand new cadre of eau de vie artisans is taking this traditional spirit to new heights. Katja Scharnagl has been main the cost in america, introducing drinkers to those fascinating brandies from her position as beverage director at Koloman, a Franco-Austrian restaurant in Manhattan. Behind the bar, Scharnagl has curated a listing of over 60 eaux de vie from all over the world into what she believes is the biggest choice of fruit brandies in North America.
Eau de vie (also referred to as schnapps) is a rising development, however Scharnagl’s appreciation runs deeply, stemming from her personal Austrian heritage, and reminiscences of her grandfather making apricot schnapps. She’s additionally drawn to the magic in how the spirit is produced. “Schnapps is the essence of an ingredient, distilled. It’s alchemy—a manner of preserving one thing to make an ideal product.”
The normal distillation course of is simple: Recent fruit is fermented, distilled (usually twice), diluted to a drinkable proof, then bottled. Traditionally, it was made out of ripe fruits left over from the harvest, which weren’t at all times in essentially the most pristine situation. Koloman’s choice showcases solely producers who’re diligent with regards to high quality.
“Everyone has their signature fruit,” mentioned Scharnagl. Apples, pears, plums, and peaches are in style selections, however some fashionable makers are broadening the spectrum with tropical fruits, veggies, and even roots. She singles out Austrian grasp distiller Hans Reisetbauer, who makes use of solely completely ripe and unblemished elements in his brandies, as a vanguard within the class. “Solely the most effective fruits result in the most effective schnapps,” he explains. This fruit-first method additionally means the ensuing spirits specific the distinctive aroma and taste profile of every harvest. Loved neat or in a cocktail, Scharnagl’s top-tier choice is proof that eau de vie can present an sudden and chic ingesting expertise.
Reisetbauer Ginger, Austria
The purity and depth of this uncommon eau de vie fulfill the palates of even essentially the most fervent ginger followers. Hans Reisetbauer rigorously developed a proprietary approach to transform ginger root starches to sugars, requiring greater than 77 kilos of ginger to make only one liter of the severely daring and spicy spirit.
Branchwater Black Currant Brandy, United States
New York’s Hudson Valley is an ocean away from Austria, however Reisetbauer’s affect looms giant—significantly on the distillery he designed at Branchwater Farms. There, proprietor Kevin Pike permits his black currant brandies to mature for a yr in chrome steel tanks earlier than it’s launched to the market.
Capreolus Distillery 1000 Timber Apple Eau de Vie, England
Barney Wilczak sources the fruit for this spirit from a historic orchard with 1,000 heirloom varieties. Think about the most effective apples you’ve ever eaten, multiply that taste by 1,000, then distill it all the way down to its purest essence. The result’s spiced and slightly candy, with a definite and nuanced apple taste.
Rochelt Wachau Apricot, Austria
The late Günter Rochelt started making eaux de vie in his storage within the ’70s; since then, his household has carried on the custom at their distillery. Ripe apricots grown alongside the banks of the Danube enliven this model. Scharnagl pours it tableside to point out off the gorgeous inexperienced glass cruet impressed by the normal Tyrolean “pincer bottle.”
Edenico Guayaba Eau de Vie #1, Mexico
A local of Burgundy, Arnaud Fressonnet selected prickly pear, guava, plantain, and mango for his brandies, a results of a collaboration with fifth-generation Mexican rum destiladores Rommel and Alex Krassel. The trio balances their brandies’ sweetness and acidity with fruits at totally different phases of ripeness, earlier than fermenting with Champagne yeast.
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