🥃 Quetsch d'Alsace
Clear fruit spirit from whole fresh plums of the Quetsche d'Alsace variety, fermented and distilled in Alsace: EU protected name, at least 45% ABV, rests at least 6 months.
Quetsch d'Alsace is a clear fruit spirit made from whole fresh plums of the local Quetsche d'Alsace variety, fermented and distilled in Alsace. It is an EU protected name in the fruit spirit category: its strength in the bottle is at least 45% ABV, and volatile substances exceed 300 g per hectolitre of pure alcohol.
Plum and orchards. The quetsch is an elongated, fleshy plum of Prunus domestica, blue or violet, with firm and not very juicy flesh. Orchards may have no more than 450 trees per hectare, at least two thirds of the ground must be grassed, and yields are limited to 150 kg per tree. The fruit must be fresh, whole, mature, unfrozen and with the stone intact.
How it is made. The fruit is gently mixed so the stones are not crushed, and it ferments without heating or added sugar. It is distilled discontinuously in copper stills of up to 25 hl, either twice or in a column with no more than three plates, to 60-80% ABV. The spirit then rests at least six months in neutral vessels. Up to 10 g per litre of sugar is allowed; colouring is banned.
Tradition. The word quetsche comes from the German Zwetsche. In 1933 Alsace had about a million quetsch trees, nearly a quarter of the region's fruit trees. Distilling was regulated in Colmar as early as 1506, and plum spirit has been made here since the 18th century. Today the region has 21 professional distilleries and a distillers' syndicate founded in 1919.
Why it matters to you. The name guarantees Alsatian plums and distilling in the Lower or Upper Rhine, and at least 45% ABV is stronger than the usual minimum for fruit spirits. The aroma is plum with cinnamon and stone, without colourings. The WHO reminds us that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.
Facts
| EU category | fruit spirit (category 9 of Regulation (EU) 2019/787); protected name |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | GI specification approved by order of 01.09.2025 (BO Agri 18.09.2025) |
| Raw material | whole fresh plums of the Quetsche d'Alsace variety, no added sugar |
| Distillation method | discontinuous, copper stills up to 25 hl (double or up to 3 plates), 60-80% ABV |
| Minimum maturation | rest of at least 6 months in neutral vessels |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 45% ABV; sugar up to 10 g/l |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Quetsch d'Alsace → then → 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation ← goes through ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 French
- Part of
- 🥃 Slivovitz (šljivovica), 🥃 Fruit spirit
- Related to
- 📍 Alsace
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Mirabelle d'Alsace, 🥃 Kirsch d'Alsace, 🥃 Pălincă, 🥃 Pălincă, 🥃 Pregler, 🥃 Pregler
Frequently asked questions
Is quetsch a separate fruit?
No. Quetsch is a variety of plum, Prunus domestica: an elongated, fleshy blue-violet plum. Quetsch d'Alsace uses the local variety "Quetsche d'Alsace".
What is the ABV of Quetsch d'Alsace?
At least 45% ABV in the bottle; the distillate comes off the still at 60-80% ABV.
Is Alsatian quetsch aged in barrels?
Only a rest of at least six months in neutral vessels is required; the spirit stays clear and colourings are banned.
How is Quetsch d'Alsace distilled?
Only discontinuously, in copper stills of up to 25 hl: double distillation or a column with no more than three plates.
Where is Quetsch d'Alsace made?
In communes of the Lower and Upper Rhine departments, where the plums grow and are fermented, distilled and finished.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation — Yeast eats the sugar in the must and releases alcohol and carbon dioxide.
- 🧑🤝🧑 French — The French are the main population of France, known for the festive meal and baguette on UNESCO's list, for wine and for cheese.
- 🥃 Kirsch d'Alsace — Clear distillate of cherries (gean and wild cherries) from Alsace: EU protected name, at least 45% ABV, copper pot stills up to 25 hl, rest at least 6 months, no colourings.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
Similar
🥃 Fränkisches Zwetschgenwasser · 🥃 Țuică de Argeș · 🥃 Țuică Zetea de Medieșu Aurit · 🥃 Hrvatska stara šljivovica · 🥃 Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser · 🥃 Sliwovitz del Friuli-Venezia Giulia
⚠️ 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
- Cahier des charges de l'IG « Quetsch d'Alsace », homologated by arrêté of 01.09.2025 (JORF 06.09.2025), BO Agri MASA 18.09.2025 — fruit spirit (Annex I, point 9 of Reg. (EU) 2019/787); min. 45 % vol., volatiles > 300 g/hl a.p.; variety Quetsche d'Alsace (Prunus domestica); orchards < 450 trees/ha, ≥ 2/3 grassed, ≤ 150 kg per tree; fresh, whole fruit, no freezing; fermentation without heating, no added sugar; discontinuous distillation (double à repasse or ≤ 3 plates), copper, ≤ 25 hl, 60–80 % vol.; rest ≥ 6 months in neutral containers; sweetening ≤ 10 g/l, colouring banned; Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin; ~1 million trees in 1933; Colmar 1506; 18th c.; 21 professional distilleries; syndicate of 1919; word from German Zwetsche
- Cahier des charges de l'IG « Quetsch d'Alsace », homologated by arrêté of 30.12.2014 (JORF 14.01.2015), BO AGRI 05.02.2015 — previous version, category 9 'eau-de-vie de fruit', min. 45 % vol.
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex III as at 31.01.2020 (legislation.gov.uk): 9. Fruit spirit — Quetsch d'Alsace (France)
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex II as at 31.01.2020 (legislation.gov.uk): cat. 9 fruit spirit — methanol up to 1 200 g/hl a.p. for plum and quetsch (Prunus domestica L.)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)