🥃 Sliwovitz trentino
Clear distillate of plums grown, distilled and bottled in the Autonomous Province of Trento: an EU-protected name, 40–50% ABV, methanol up to 1,000 g/hl, sugar up to 20 g/l.
Sliwovitz trentino (Trentino plum spirit), also called Sliwovitz del Trentino, is an EU-protected name for a clear distillate of fermented plums from the Autonomous Province of Trento in northern Italy. The plums are grown and processed in the province, and the spirit is distilled and bottled there too. The strength is 40 to 50% ABV. The aroma is ripe plum with floral notes, and the taste has a light hint of bitter almond.
Stricter limits. Methanol is allowed up to 1,000 g per hectolitre of pure alcohol, less than the general EU limit of 1,200 g for plum distillates. Hydrocyanic acid is limited to 5 g/hl, ethyl carbamate to 0.8 mg per litre and copper to 5 mg. The spirit may be diluted only with certified drinking water from the province, which flows through porphyry and dolomite.
How it is made. The fermented mash is distilled in a batch still below 86% ABV, often in apparatus following the method of Tullio Zadra, with a water bath and a separate column to separate heads and tails. Whole fruit and up to 20 g of sugar per litre may be added, and the spirit may be aged in wooden casks under tax supervision within the province.
History. Distilling in Trentino has been regulated for a long time: on 7 August 1697 the magistrate of Trento issued a proclamation against the smuggling of wine and spirits. The distilling of stone fruit spread later, when the region belonged to Austria-Hungary; at first wild marasca cherries and plums were distilled. Production grew after the Second World War.
Why this matters to you. The name guarantees Trentino plums, stricter methanol limits and bottling in the province, but it is a strong distillate of up to 50% ABV. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| EU category | category 9 — fruit spirit; Italian protected name |
|---|---|
| Raw material | plums (Prunus domestica) grown and processed in the Province of Trento |
| Distillation method | batch still below 86% ABV; traditionally the Tullio Zadra apparatus with a water bath |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40–50% ABV; sugar up to 20 g/l; methanol up to 1,000 g/hl of pure alcohol |
| Legal basis | Regulation (EU) 2019/787; technical file Ares(2015)4890232 |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Sliwovitz trentino → affects → 🍷 Alcohol and health ← affects ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🥃 Distillation
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Slivovitz (šljivovica)
- Related to
- 📍 Trentino
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Kirsch Trentino, 🥃 Aprikot trentino, 🥃 Grappa trentina, 🥃 Sliwovitz del Friuli-Venezia Giulia, 🥃 Sliwovitz del Friuli-Venezia Giulia, 🥃 Slavonska šljivovica, 🥃 Slavonska šljivovica
Frequently asked questions
Does Trentino sliwovitz contain less methanol than EU law allows?
Yes: the technical file limits methanol to 1,000 g per hectolitre of pure alcohol, while the general EU limit for plum distillates is 1,200 g.
What is the strength of Sliwovitz trentino?
From 40 to 50% ABV.
Where is Trentino sliwovitz made?
The whole process, from growing the plums through processing and distilling to bottling, takes place in the Autonomous Province of Trento.
What is the Tullio Zadra method?
A traditional Trentino distillation in a batch still with a water bath and a separate column, which separates the first and last fractions.
Can sugar be added?
Yes, up to 20 g per litre; whole fruit may also be added.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🥃 Distillation — Distilling a fermented liquid: ethanol evaporates before water, the vapor is cooled and collected; in batches in a pot still or continuously in a column.
- 🥃 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.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
- 🥃 Aprikot trentino — Fruit distillate from apricots processed and distilled in the autonomous Province of Trento: EU category 9, 40–50% ABV, sugar up to 20 g/l.
Similar
🥃 Slavonska šljivovica · 🥃 Sliwovitz del Friuli-Venezia Giulia · 🥃 Hrvatska stara šljivovica · 🥃 Südtiroler Zwetschgeler · 🥃 Quetsch d'Alsace · 🥃 Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser
⚠️ 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 'Sliwovitz trentino' or 'Sliwovitz del Trentino', Ref. Ares(2015)4890232 — plums (Prunus domestica) grown and processed in the Autonomous Province of Trento, distilled and bottled there; 40–50 % vol.; methanol ≤ 1 000 g/hl a.a.; volatile substances ≥ 200 g/hl; HCN ≤ 5 g/hl; 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; stone-fruit distillation from the Austro-Hungarian period; applicant Autonomous Province of Trento
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex III as at 31.01.2020 (legislation.gov.uk): Italy — Sliwovitz trentino/Sliwovitz del Trentino, 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)