🥃 Schwarzwälder Mirabellenwasser
Clear distillate of fermented mirabelles, small yellow plums, from the Black Forest: an EU-protected name, at least 40% ABV, no added sugar, colouring or oak chips.
Schwarzwälder Mirabellenwasser (Black Forest mirabelle spirit) is an EU-protected name for a clear distillate of fermented mirabelles, small round yellow plums, from the Black Forest and its foothills. A mirabelle has sweet flesh. The strength is at least 40% ABV, while the general EU limit for fruit spirits is 37.5%. The aroma is of ripe mirabelle, and the taste is soft.
Fruit and region. Mirabelles grow on tall old trees in the orchards of the Upper Rhine Plain and the foothills. Abundant winter and spring rain, a warm summer and soils of gneiss, granite and porphyry give the fruit plenty of sugar, which raises both the quality and the yield of the distillate. Along with cherries and plums, mirabelles are among the main raw materials of local distillers.
How it is made. Fresh whole or pitted mirabelles go into a barrel or vat; fermentation with wild or added yeast lasts two to six weeks. The mash of 6–8% ABV is distilled once or twice to under 86% ABV. The spirit rests in stoneware, stainless steel or barrels of ash or chestnut, less often oak.
Small distilleries. The Black Forest still has thousands of village distilleries, to which excise rules allow stills of up to 150 litres and up to 300 litres of pure alcohol a year. The distilling tradition goes back to a decree of 1726 by Bishop Gaston de Rohan of Strasbourg for Oberkirch.
Why this matters to you. The name guarantees Black Forest mirabelles and a drink with no sugar, colouring or oak chips. A sweet fruity aroma does not reduce the strength, which is 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 | mirabelles (yellow plums) from the Black Forest and its foothills |
| Distillation method | one or two distillations to under 86% ABV; distillate 60–85.9% ABV |
| Cask type | stoneware, stainless steel, barrels of ash or chestnut; less often oak |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 40% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Schwarzwälder Mirabellenwasser → then → 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation ← goes through ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Mirabelle (mirabelle plum spirit)
- Related to
- 📍 Baden
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Mirabelle d'Alsace, 🥃 Mirabelle de Lorraine, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Himbeergeist, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Himbeergeist, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Williamsbirne, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Williamsbirne, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser
Frequently asked questions
Is mirabelle spirit sweet?
No. The aroma is fruity, but Schwarzwälder Mirabellenwasser contains no sugar: the technical file bans sweeteners.
What is a mirabelle?
A small round plum with yellow, sweet flesh; in the Black Forest it grows on tall old trees.
What is the strength of Black Forest mirabelle?
At least 40% ABV; the general EU limit for fruit spirits is 37.5% ABV.
How does it differ from Alsace mirabelle?
By fruit and rules: Alsace mirabelle is made from Alsace mirabelles and sold at 45% ABV or more, while the Black Forest one uses Black Forest mirabelles and is at least 40% ABV.
Can it be aged in a barrel?
Yes. Casks of ash or chestnut are most often used so that the spirit stays clear; in oak it may take on a yellowish tint, but colourings are banned.
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.
- 📍 Baden — Germany's southernmost wine region, about 400 km from the Tauber to Lake Constance; the only one in EU zone B, with Burgundy grapes on 61 % of the area.
- 🥃 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.
Similar
🥃 Mirabelle de Lorraine · 🥃 Mirabelle d'Alsace · 🥃 Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser · 🥃 Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser · 🥃 Schwarzwälder Williamsbirne · 🥃 Schwarzwälder Himbeergeist
⚠️ 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 Mirabellenwasser' (PGI, category 9 fruit spirit), Ref. Ares(2016)3964980 — Black Forest mirabelles (small to medium, round, yellow-fleshed, tall standard trees); fermentation 2–6 weeks, mash 6–8 % vol.; distilled to < 86 % vol. (60–85.9 %); min. 40 % vol.; no colouring, caramel, sweeteners or oak chips; small 'Abfindungsbrennereien' limited to 300 l pure alcohol a year, stills up to 150 l; decree of Gaston de Rohan 1726; F. Göhringer, Schwarzwälder Schnapsbrevier
- 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 Mirabellenwasser, 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)
- 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)