No 195 Ukrainian rowan - brandy

The red, bitter-tasting fruits of the mountain ash, also known as rowan berries, are traditionally considered poisonous, but this must be considered exaggerated. Their raw fruits are not very edible due to the parasorbic acid, which is also responsible for the bitterness, and can cause digestive problems. When cooked, parasorbic acid hydrolyzes to form sorbic acid, a well-known and well-tolerated preservative in foods.

Consequently, the use of the cooked berries for jams or as a puree has just as long a tradition as distilling them into delicate brandies. Botanically, they are not berries, but apple fruits (i.e. pomaceous fruit), which is easy to recognize if you take a closer look at the small red fruits as a whole and in cross-section.

The name of the rowan does not derive from the wild pig - "rowan" rather goes back to "but" in the sense of "false", so it is a "false ash", because its leaves resemble those of the ash tree. It is widespread throughout Europe and perfectly tolerates the harsh climate of the low mountain ranges. Our organic birdberries were collected wild in the Ukrainian Carpathians, also called "Forest Carpathians".

From them we made a wonderful brandy "by maceration and distillation" from five parts fruit and one part alcohol. Important for the aroma are, among other things, fruit acids, but also essential oils, which stand out in our brandy through the typical, delicate notes of marzipan and accompanied by light chocolate notes in the finish.

A must for pure enjoyment!