🥃 Kirsch Trentino
Clear distillate of sour cherries and cherries grown, distilled and bottled in the autonomous province of Trento: EU protected name, 40–50% ABV, sugar up to 20 g/l.
Kirsch Trentino (also Kirschwasser Trentino) is an EU protected name for a clear distillate of sour cherries and cherries from the autonomous province of Trento in northern Italy. The fruit is grown and processed in the province, where the spirit is also distilled and bottled. Strength is 40 to 50% ABV, and the aroma is of ripe cherries and red berries.
Protected name. The name appears in Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 among Italian fruit spirits and now falls under Regulation (EU) 2019/787 as category 9. The technical file was submitted by the autonomous province of Trento, as it was for the apricot, apple and gentian spirits of Trentino.
How it is made. Sour cherries (Prunus cerasus) and cherries (Prunus avium) are allowed. The fermented mash is distilled in batch pot stills below 86% ABV, often in apparatus using the Tullio Zadra method, with a water bath and a separate column. Whole fruit may be added, along with up to 20 g of sugar per litre. The spirit is diluted only with certified drinking water from the province. Ethyl carbamate must not exceed 0.8 mg per litre.
History. Distilling in Trentino was regulated early: on 7 August 1697 the magistrate of Trento issued a proclamation against smuggling wine and spirits. Stone-fruit distillates spread later, when the region belonged to Austria-Hungary; wild marasca cherries and plums were distilled first. Production grew after the Second World War.
Why this matters to you. The name Kirsch Trentino guarantees Trentino fruit, distillation and bottling in the province, and a strength of 40 to 50% ABV. It may be aged in wooden casks, but the colour should stay clear. This is a strong spirit. The WHO notes that there is no safe amount of alcohol.
Facts
| EU category | category 9, fruit spirit; protected name of Italy |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Regulation (EU) 2019/787; technical file Ref. Ares(2015)4890232 |
| Raw material | sour cherries (Prunus cerasus) and cherries (Prunus avium) from the province of Trento |
| Distillation method | batch pot still, below 86% ABV; traditionally the Tullio Zadra apparatus with a water bath |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40–50% ABV; sugar up to 20 g/l |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Kirsch Trentino → affects → 🍷 Alcohol and health ← affects ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🥃 Distillation
- Made from
- 🥃 Cherry (sour and sweet)
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Kirsch (Kirschwasser), 🥃 Fruit spirit
- Related to
- 📍 Trentino
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Aprikot trentino, 🥃 Distillato di mele trentino, 🥃 Genziana trentina, 🥃 Kirsch Friulano, 🥃 Kirsch Friulano, 🥃 Kirsch d'Alsace, 🥃 Kirsch d'Alsace, 🥃 Kirsch de Fougerolles, 🥃 Kirsch de Fougerolles, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Kirsch Trentino is made only from cherries?
No. The technical file allows both sour cherries (Prunus cerasus) and cherries (Prunus avium), grown and processed in the province of Trento.
What is the strength of Kirsch Trentino?
From 40 to 50% ABV; the general EU limit for fruit spirits is 37.5% ABV.
What is the Tullio Zadra method?
A traditional Trentino distillation in batch pot stills with a water bath and a separate column. It separates heads and tails and keeps the fruit aroma.
Why does the water matter?
The strength may be reduced only with certified drinking water from the province of Trento, which flows through porphyry and dolomite. It may be softened but not demineralised.
Where is Kirsch Trentino bottled?
Only in the autonomous province of Trento, where the fruit is grown and the spirit is distilled.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🥃 Südtiroler Kirsch — Clear distillate of cherries fermented and distilled in the province of Bolzano. Protected EU name, at least 40% ABV, hydrocyanic acid up to 5 g per hectolitre of pure alcohol.
- 🥃 Cherry (sour and sweet) — Stone fruits used for kirsch (cherry distillate), maraschino (liqueur from Marasca cherry), cherry liqueurs and palinkas; in the EU kirsch is at least 37.5% ABV.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
- 🥃 Williams trentino — Clear distillate of Williams pears grown, processed and bottled in the autonomous province of Trento. Protected EU name, 40–50% ABV, sugar up to 20 g per litre.
Similar
🥃 Fränkisches Kirschwasser · 🥃 Kirsch de Fougerolles · 🥃 Kirsch Friulano · 🥃 Kirsch d'Alsace · 🥃 Südtiroler Kirsch · 🥃 Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser
⚠️ 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 'Kirsch Trentino' or 'Kirschwasser Trentino', Ref. Ares(2015)4890232: cherries (Prunus cerasus, Prunus avium) grown and processed in the Autonomous Province of Trento, distilled and bottled there; 40–50 % vol.; volatile compounds ≥ 200 g/hl a.a.; HCN ≤ 5 g/hl a.a.; ethyl carbamate ≤ 0.8 mg/l; batch still < 86 % vol., 'Tullio Zadra' bain-marie stills with column; whole fruit and ≤ 20 g/l sugar may be added; dilution only with certified Trentino drinking water; proclamation of 7 August 1697; applicant Autonomous Province of Trento
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex III as at 31.01.2020 (legislation.gov.uk): Italy — Kirsch Trentino/Kirschwasser Trentino (9. Fruit spirit)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Annex I: category 9 — fruit spirit (only fruit, distilled < 86 % vol., min. 37.5 % vol., no added alcohol, not flavoured)
- Commission Recommendation 2010/133/EU of 2 March 2010 on the prevention and reduction of ethyl carbamate contamination in stone fruit spirits and stone fruit marc spirits
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)