🥃 Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser
Clear distillate of fermented cherries from the Black Forest (Baden-Württemberg): an EU-protected name, at least 40% ABV, with no added sugar, colouring or oak chips; distilling is recorded from 1726.
Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser (Black Forest cherry spirit) is an EU-protected name for a clear distillate of fermented cherries from the Black Forest and its foothills in south-western Germany. It is also called Schwarzwälder Kirschbrand or Schwarzwälder Kirsch. The minimum strength is 40% ABV, while the general EU limit for kirsch is 37.5%. The aroma is cherry, often with a note of bitter almond.
Cherries. Only small, sweet 'schnapps' varieties from tall old trees are used: Dollenseppler, Benjaminler, Winterbacher and Schwarze Schüttler; table cherries are not suitable. These fruits have a larger stone in relation to the flesh, and that stone gives the almond note. Soils of gneiss, granite and porphyry, together with a mild climate, help the cherries build up sugar.
How it is made. The fruit, mostly picked by hand, goes into a barrel or vat on the same day. Fermentation lasts two to six weeks, and the mash has 6–8% ABV. It is distilled once or twice to under 86% ABV, most often in copper stills; thousands of small village distilleries have stills of up to 150 litres. The spirit rests in stoneware, stainless steel or barrels of ash or chestnut, less often oak.
History. The first mention is a decree of 1726 by Bishop Gaston de Rohan of Strasbourg, allowing the residents of Oberkirch to distil cherries. In 1909 the Baden state parliament asked the agricultural chamber to set a standard for 'real, pure' kirsch. Kirsch is also added to the Black Forest cherry cake.
Why this matters to you. The name guarantees Black Forest cherries and a drink with no sugar, colouring or oak chips, but it is a strong spirit of at least 40% ABV. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| EU category | category 9 — fruit spirit; German protected name |
|---|---|
| Raw material | sweet Black Forest 'schnapps' cherries: Dollenseppler, Benjaminler, Winterbacher, Schwarze Schüttler |
| Distillation method | once or twice to under 86% ABV; distillate 60–85.9% ABV |
| Cask type | stoneware, stainless steel, barrels of ash or chestnut; less often oak, including ex-bourbon or ex-rum casks |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 40% ABV |
| Legal basis | Regulation (EU) 2019/787; Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 110/2008; technical file Ares(2016)2055843 |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser → then → 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation ← goes through ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Cherry (sour and sweet)
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Kirsch (Kirschwasser)
- Related to
- 📍 Baden
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Fränkisches Kirschwasser, 🥃 Kirsch d'Alsace, 🥃 Kirsch Trentino, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Himbeergeist, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Himbeergeist, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Mirabellenwasser, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Mirabellenwasser, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Williamsbirne, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Williamsbirne, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser
Frequently asked questions
Is Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser stronger than ordinary kirsch?
Yes: the technical file requires at least 40% ABV, while the general EU limit for kirsch is 37.5% ABV.
Which cherries are used for Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser?
Small, sweet 'schnapps' varieties from Black Forest orchards: Dollenseppler, Benjaminler, Winterbacher and Schwarze Schüttler. Table cherries are not used.
Where does the almond note in kirsch come from?
From the stones: schnapps cherries have a large stone in relation to the flesh, and it gives a bitter almond aroma.
Can sugar or caramel be added?
No. The technical file bans sweeteners and colourings, including caramel, as well as oak chips.
What does a name such as 'Ortenauer Kirschwasser' mean?
It names a smaller area within the Black Forest: the cherries must come from there, and the distillery must also operate there.
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.
- 🥃 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.
- 🥃 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.
Similar
🥃 Kirsch de Fougerolles · 🥃 Kirsch Friulano · 🥃 Fränkisches Kirschwasser · 🥃 Kirsch d'Alsace · 🥃 Südtiroler Kirsch · 🥃 Kirsch Trentino
⚠️ 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: technical file 'Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser' (PGI, category 9 fruit spirit), Ref. Ares(2016)2055843 — also 'Schwarzwälder Kirschbrand', 'Schwarzwälder Kirsch'; Black Forest cherries (Dollenseppler, Benjaminler, Winterbacher, Schwarze Schüttler), no table cherries; fermentation 2–6 weeks, mash 6–8 % vol.; distilled once or twice to < 86 % vol., distillate 60–85.9 %; min. 40 % vol.; no colouring, caramel, sweeteners or oak chips; ash or chestnut casks; small distilleries with stills up to 150 l; decree of Bishop Gaston de Rohan 1726 for Oberkirch; Baden parliament 1909; area — government region of Freiburg and part of Karlsruhe
- Regierungspräsidium Baden-Württemberg: Spirituosen mit Herkunftsschutz aus Baden-Württemberg — Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser, Mirabellenwasser, Zwetschgenwasser, Himbeergeist, Williamsbirne; fruit exclusively from the defined Black Forest area, production there as well
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex III as at 31.01.2020 (legislation.gov.uk): Germany — Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser, category 9 fruit spirit
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Annex I: category 9 — fruit spirit (min. 37.5 % vol., distilled < 86 % vol., not flavoured, sweetening up to 18 g/l)
- 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)