About the Brandies

In my last post I mentioned the three brandies that were about to be released. Now that they’re available, I thought I would explain them in a bit more detail.

Let’s start with the grappa. Grappa has its origins in Italy and seems to have a reputation as harsh, fire-water type of beverage that old Italian men drink as some sort of right of passage. This can be true, but there are many wonderful grappa’s out there. Unfortunately, I think most of them stay in Italy and they export the fire-water here to the States.

Grappa is distilled from fermented pomace, which are the solid remains from the winemaking process. The freshest possible pomace makes the best grappa. We were lucky enough to receive ours from the winery within days. Our grappa comes from Wisconsin grown Millot and Marechal Foch grapes, which are hearty, red-varietals whose vines can withstand harsh Wisconsin winters. It has a fresh and lively bouquet with a nice grape finish.

Grappa is typically drunk neat as an aperitif. However, it can be an ingredient in cocktails such as a grappa gimlet (grappa, gin and lime juice). It is common in Italy to add a shot of grappa to coffee. This is known as a café correcto or “corrected coffee”. I love this way of thinking.

Kirschwasser is a traditional Swiss-German un-aged brandy distilled from cherries. The first reaction that most people have when they smell and taste Kirsch for the first time is: “that’s not cherry”. I think this is because we’ve now been trained that cherry is the artificial flavor of a Maraschino. Let’s be honest, cherry flavored vodka, cherry candy, cherry soda and definitely Maraschinos smell and taste like no cherry from a tree, but that’s now what we associate as “cherry”.

Kirsch has a smooth, subtle aroma and flavor. Like grappa, it is typically enjoyed neat as an aperitif. It’s also traditionally drunk with some sugar or simple syrup and bitters (sort of a cherry old fashioned). Personally, I can’t wait to see what kind of cocktails Jason starts using this in.

Pears are some of the best fruit for distilling. The aroma and flavor of the pear eau de vie (French for “water of life”) is distinctly fresh Bartlett pears. I would suggest that anyone who’s a fan of pear flavored vodka to try this. It’ll amaze you at how much better real pear is compared to the artificial flavors that they use in most vodkas. Again, it is best drunk neat, but I’m sure it will find its way into some incredible cocktails or martinis.

The Kirsch and pear were done in collaboration with Charles McGonegal of AeppelTreow Winery in Burlington. He supplied the wines that these were distilled from. We have done some contract distilling for him in the past for spirits that he uses to make fortified apple, cherry and pear wines with. The results were so positive that we teamed up to make these excellent brandies. Along with some fine fruit wines, Charles produces a superb line of hard ciders. His winery is located adjacent to the Brightonwoods Orchard near the Bong Recreational Area. It’s definitely worth a trip down on a spring or summer day to have a tour and tasting.