🥃 Aprikot trentino
Fruit distillate from apricots processed and distilled in the autonomous Province of Trento: EU category 9, 40–50% ABV, sugar up to 20 g/l.
Aprikot trentino (or Aprikot del Trentino) is an EU geographical indication for a fruit distillate made from apricots that are processed, distilled and diluted in the autonomous Province of Trento in northern Italy. It is made only from fermented apricots, with a strength of 40 to 50% ABV. The drink is clear, with the aroma of ripe apricot, white flowers and apricot jam.
Protected name. The name belongs to category 9 of Regulation (EU) 2019/787, fruit distillates; it was already in the register under Regulation (EC) No 110/2008. The technical file was submitted by the autonomous Province of Trento and is stricter than the general rules: volatile substances at least 200 g per hectolitre of pure alcohol, hydrocyanic acid up to 5 g/hl, ethyl carbamate up to 0.8 mg/l.
Production. Fresh or properly stored apricots are mashed into a purée, fermented in a way that preserves the aroma, and distilled in batch pot stills below 86% vol. A common local method is the Tullio Zadra apparatus, with a water bath, a separate boiler and a column. Whole fruit may be added, and up to 20 g/l of sugar; dilution is only with Trentino drinking water.
History. Distilling in Trentino is old: on 7 August 1697 the consular magistrate of Trento issued a proclamation against wine and spirit smuggling, and in 1757 rules for the communities of Cembra appeared. Stone fruit has been distilled here for more than two hundred years, a custom inherited from the Austro-Hungarian period; at first these were wild marasca cherries and plums. After the Second World War orchards and the Zadra method brought the heyday.
Why this matters to you. The name 'Aprikot trentino' on the label means a distillate from apricots only, with no added spirit or flavourings, as the fruit distillate category requires; hydrocyanic acid from the stones is limited separately. Ageing in wood is allowed but not required. This is a strong alcoholic drink at 40–50% ABV. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe amount of alcohol.
Facts
| EU category | category 9 — fruit distillate; EU geographical indication |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Regulation (EU) 2019/787; GI technical file, Ares(2015)4890232 |
| Raw material | only fermented apricots (Prunus armeniaca); Trentino drinking water for dilution |
| Distillation method | batch pot still, below 86% vol.; traditionally the Tullio Zadra apparatus |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40 to 50% vol.; sugar up to 20 g/l |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Aprikot trentino → kind of → 🍎 Fruit brandies → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🍎 Fruit brandies
- Related to
- 📍 Trentino
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Gönc apricot pálinka (Gönci Barackpálinka), 🥃 Kecskemét apricot pálinka (Kecskeméti Barackpálinka), 🥃 Kirsch (Kirschwasser), 🥃 Slivovitz (šljivovica), 🥃 Grappa trentina, 🥃 Distillato di mele trentino, 🥃 Genziana trentina
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that apricot stones make the distillate dangerous?
The stones contain compounds that can form hydrocyanic acid, so the technical file limits it to 5 g per hectolitre of pure alcohol, and ethyl carbamate to 0.8 mg/l. The main risk is the alcohol itself, at 40–50% ABV.
How does Aprikot trentino differ from apricot pálinka?
Both are fruit distillates from apricots with a protected name. But pálinka is made in Hungary from Hungarian fruit, while Aprikot trentino is processed, distilled and diluted only in the Province of Trento.
What is the Tullio Zadra method?
A common Trentino pot-distilling method: an apparatus with a water bath, a separate boiler and a column, which separates the first and last fractions and keeps the aroma of the fruit.
Does Aprikot trentino contain added sugar?
It may, but no more than 20 g/l calculated as invert sugar. Whole fruit may also be added.
Is Aprikot trentino aged in barrels?
It can be. The technical file allows ageing in barrels, vats and other wooden containers at producers in the Province of Trento under tax supervision.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation — Yeast eats the sugar in the must and releases alcohol and carbon dioxide.
- 🥃 Slivovitz (šljivovica) — Fruit spirit distilled from fermented plums: in the EU from 37.5% vol., methanol up to 1200 g/hl; Serbian šljivovica on UNESCO's list since 2022.
- 🥃 Kecskemét apricot pálinka (Kecskeméti Barackpálinka) — Apricot pálinka from the sandy Kiskunság around Kecskemét: only stone-free apricots from local orchards, from 40 % vol.
Similar
🥃 Distillato di mele trentino · 🥃 Damassine · 🥃 Medronho do Algarve · 🥃 Gönc apricot pálinka (Gönci Barackpálinka) · 🥃 Békés plum pálinka (Békési Szilvapálinka) · 🥃 Újfehértó sour cherry pálinka (Újfehértói meggypálinka)
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- eAmbrosia (EU GI register), technical file: 'Aprikot trentino' or 'Aprikot del Trentino', Ref. Ares(2015)4890232 (fruit spirit from apricots only; processed, distilled and diluted in the Autonomous Province of Trento; 40–50 % vol.; volatile substances min. 200 g/hl a.a.; HCN max. 5 g/hl a.a.; ethyl carbamate max. 0.8 mg/l; discontinuous still < 86 %, Tullio Zadra method; sugar max. 20 g/l; Trentino drinking water; proclamation of 7 August 1697, Cembra regulation 1757)
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex III as at 31.01.2020 (legislation.gov.uk): Italy — Aprikot trentino/Aprikot del Trentino (9. Fruit spirit); Spain — Anís Paloma Monforte del Cid (25. Aniseed-flavoured spirit drinks), Aperitivo Café de Alcoy (Other spirit drinks)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks, Annex I: cat. 9 fruit spirit (only fruit, distilled < 86 %, min. 37.5 %, no added alcohol, not flavoured), cat. 25 aniseed-flavoured spirit drink (min. 15 %); Chapter III — geographical indications
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)