🥃 Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser
Clear distillate of fermented Zwetschge plums from the Black Forest and the Upper Rhine Plain: an EU-protected name, at least 40% ABV, no sugar, colouring or oak chips.
Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser (Black Forest Zwetschge spirit) is an EU-protected name for a clear distillate of fermented Zwetschge plums from the Black Forest and its foothills. Zwetschge is the German name for an elongated plum whose flesh separates easily from the stone, a close relative of the Hungarian plum. It is a type of plum spirit. The strength is at least 40% ABV, while the general EU limit is 37.5%. The aroma is of ripe plum, and the taste is soft.
Plums. The main varieties are Bühler Zwetschge, Ortenauer, Elena, Presenta and the common home plum. The fruit is small, soft and fully ripe, and it has less flesh relative to the stone than table plums, which gives it its distinctive taste. The Upper Rhine Plain and the western spurs of the Black Forest are the mildest part of Germany, and the only German area in wine zone B, so the plums build up a lot of sugar.
How it is made. Fresh plums, whole or pitted, go into a barrel or vat; fermentation lasts two to six weeks. The mash of 6–8% ABV is distilled once or twice to under 86% ABV, taking into account the 2010 EU recommendation on ethyl carbamate in stone fruit spirits. The spirit rests in stoneware, stainless steel or wooden casks.
Rules and history. Colourings, caramel, sugar and oak chips are not allowed. The distilling tradition goes back to a decree of 1726 by Bishop Gaston de Rohan of Strasbourg for Oberkirch; the drink is also covered in specialist literature.
Why this matters to you. The name guarantees Black Forest plums and a drink with no sugar or colouring, but it is a strong distillate 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 (PGI-DE-01995) |
|---|---|
| Raw material | Zwetschge plums of the Black Forest: Bühler Zwetschge, Ortenauer, Elena, Presenta, home plum |
| Distillation method | one or two distillations to under 86% ABV; distillate 60–85.9% ABV |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 40% ABV |
| Legal basis | Regulation (EU) 2019/787; Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 110/2008; technical file PGI-DE-01995 |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser → 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
- 🥃 Slivovitz (šljivovica)
- Related to
- 📍 Baden
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Fränkisches Zwetschgenwasser, 🥃 Békés plum pálinka (Békési Szilvapálinka), 🥃 Schwarzwälder Himbeergeist, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Himbeergeist, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Mirabellenwasser, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Mirabellenwasser, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Williamsbirne, 🥃 Schwarzwälder Williamsbirne
Frequently asked questions
Is Zwetschgenwasser a plum liqueur?
No. It is a fruit spirit with no sugar: the plums are fermented and distilled, and the technical file bans sweeteners.
Which plums is Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser made from?
Mainly from the Bühler Zwetschge, Ortenauer, Elena, Presenta and home plum varieties grown in the Black Forest and its foothills.
What does the word Zwetschge mean?
In German it is an elongated plum whose flesh separates easily from the stone, close to the Hungarian plum.
What is the strength of Black Forest Zwetschgenwasser?
At least 40% ABV; the general EU limit for fruit spirits is 37.5% ABV.
How does it differ from Franconian Zwetschgenwasser?
By the origin of the plums: Franconian is made in Bavaria, Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg; both are at least 40% ABV with no sugar.
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.
- 🥃 Békés plum pálinka (Békési Szilvapálinka) — Plum pálinka from the Körös valley around Békés: at least half the plums are the red Vörös szilva, with wood ageing of 3 months or more.
Similar
🥃 Fränkisches Zwetschgenwasser · 🥃 Țuică de Argeș · 🥃 Slavonska šljivovica · 🥃 Țuică Zetea de Medieșu Aurit · 🥃 Sliwovitz del Friuli-Venezia Giulia · 🥃 Hrvatska stara šljivovica
⚠️ 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
- BLE: Technische Unterlage 'Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser', PGI-DE-01995 (29.04.2016) — main varieties Bühler Zwetschge, Ortenauer, Elena, Presenta, Hauszwetschge (also Ersinger); small soft fruit, lower flesh-to-stone ratio than table plums; Upper Rhine the only German area in wine zone B; fermentation 2–6 weeks, mash 6–8 % vol.; distilled to < 86 % vol. (60–85.9 %); min. 40 % vol.; no colouring, sweeteners or oak chips; decree of Gaston de Rohan 1726
- 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 Zwetschgenwasser, 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., methanol for plums up to 1 200 g/hl a.a.)
- 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)