Vogelbeerbrand is traditionally produced primarily in mountain regions such as Tyrol and Styria. The fact that making a brandy from rowan berries is very time-consuming is reflected not least in the high prices that have to be paid for the brandy.
What is rowan brandy and how does it taste?
Rowberry Brandy is a high-quality, elaborately produced fruit brandy made from rowanberries. The taste varies depending on how the berries are processed, with frost-free berries producing a lovely marzipan flavor and frost-exposed berries producing a tarter, bitter almond-like flavor.
The different names of rowanberry brandy
- Rowberry brandy (traditional trade name)
- rowan schnapps
- Rowberry fruit brandy
The name of the distillery or region from which the rowan schnapps comes is often stated in the brand name.
Rowberries are also the raw material for the famous liqueur “Sechsämterdrop”, which is produced in the Fichtelgebirge.
Elaborate manufacturing process
Rowberry brandy is a real connoisseur's brand because of its complex manufacturing process. The taste is not for everyone.
The yield from firing is not very large. Just two liters of rowanberry brandy are obtained from 100 liters of mash. This is reflected in the high price that has to be paid for a bottle of rowan schnapps.
Because of the low yield, it is hardly worthwhile for private individuals to make their own rowanberry schnapps.
Fruit brandy or schnapps made from rowanberries
There are two different types of brandy that you can make from rowanberries: fruit brandy and rowanberry schnapps.
Fruit brandies made from rowanberries have a delicate, fruity taste because they only use berries that have not yet experienced frost. They have a lovely taste, which is a little reminiscent of marzipan.
Rowberry schnapps, on the other hand, is distilled from rowan berries that were only collected after the first frost. Alternatively, the fruits can be placed in the freezer for some time. The aroma of the schnapps is rather tart and almost bitter. It tastes a little like bitter almond.
Preparing the rowanberries
Rowberries hardly contain any water. The ingredients also include parasorbic acid, a preservative that delays the fermentation process.
The rowan fruits must be carefully removed from the cones before processing. They are then either pricked or rubbed so that the aroma is better released.
In addition, water must be added to the mash because the fruits themselves contain too little liquid. In order for the yeast to rise, the temperature plays a particularly important role in the production of rowan schnapps.
Tips & Tricks
Rowberries from cultivated rowan trees are significantly less aromatic than wild fruits. To make a good brandy, wild rowan berries are collected or the mash is mixed with other types of wild berries.
