Liqueur from the Moselle

A selection of liqueurs and brandies round off our range of wines. In addition to growing wine, distilling high-quality spirits is widespread at the Moselle area. Many winemakers own a distillery and produce high quality distillates. Since the wines of the Moselle are so well-known and clearly in focus, this often takes a back seat, but the quality and diversity of the small distilleries is impressive.

What spirits are there at the Moselle?
Typical of the Moselle region are products whose raw material grows at the Moselle. The grape is certainly the first to be mentioned here, because in addition to wine, it also produces liqueurs or the Moselle pomace, which is distilled from fermented, pressed grapes similar to a grappa. In addition to grapes, many other fruits such as pears, apples, plums and mirabelle plums grow at the Moselle and in the surrounding area. This mainly produces fruit schnapps, which often come directly from the garden or the field next door.
 

Schnapps, brandy or liqueur?
A spirit is in many cases referred to colloquially as schnapps. However, schnapps is just a generic term for a high-proof alcoholic drink with at least 15 percent alcohol by volume. The terms “brandy” and “liqueur”, on the other hand, specify more precisely how the drink is made. To get a brandy, fermented mashes from pears or other fruits, for example, which have become an alcoholic mixture through fermentation, are distilled again. To get a liqueur, various aromatic ingredients can be added, such as wine, fruit or fruit juice. In addition, it has a sugar content of at least 100 grams per liter and therefore always has a certain sweetness in the taste.
 

How does the distillation work?
There are different distillation processes and, depending on the desired end product, attention must be paid to many details and certain precautions must be taken. In every distillation, however, the alcohol content of the mash and the boiling point are decisive. Here is a very simplified sequence of the process: The alcohol-containing mash is boiled in the still and the vapors that are created condense in the cooler until the mash is de-iced. During the distillation process, the alcohol concentration increases, the mash is separated from the mixture and a distillate is created.