🥃 Wachauer Marillenbrand
Clear Austrian distillate of ripe apricots of the protected 'Wachauer Marille' name only: protected EU name, at least 38% ABV, up to 4 g sugar per litre, no column distillation.
Wachauer Marillenbrand, a protected EU name, is a clear Austrian apricot distillate from the Wachau valley on the Danube. The raw material is only fully ripe apricots with the protected name 'Wachauer Marille', and the spirit is distilled at distilleries in the 21 municipalities of the Wachau region, from Mautern to Krems. It must be at least 38% ABV.
The Wachau apricots. The word Marille has been known here since 1509, and apricots were planted as a commercial crop on a large scale from 1890. The varieties selected by local growers and nurseries from 1900 to 1960 give a spicy, fresh fruity aroma. The apricots benefit from the meeting of Pannonian and Waldviertel climates, the Danube, and large differences between day and night temperatures.
How it is made. The fruit is usually stoned, so that the note of the kernel stays restrained; whole apricots are mashed gently and distilled quickly. Column distillation does not follow tradition and is not used: only simple pot stills or pot stills with a dephlegmator are allowed. The spirit is diluted with local water with a hardness of up to 8.4 German degrees.
Strict limits. Sugar up to 4 g per litre, dry extract up to 5 g, and hydrocyanic acid up to 7 g per hectolitre of pure alcohol, with ethyl carbamate up to 1 mg per litre. Volatile substances from 400 g, so the aroma is rich. The name of the distillery must appear on the label.
Why it matters to you. The name Wachauer Marillenbrand guarantees Wachau apricots, distillation in pot stills and almost no sugar. It is a strong spirit of at least 38% ABV. The WHO notes that there is no safe amount of alcohol.
Facts
| EU category | category 9, fruit spirit; protected Austrian name |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | protected name since 29.08.1994; technical description Ref. Ares(2015)4116304 |
| Raw material | fully ripe 'Wachauer Marille' apricots, usually stoned |
| Distillation method | simple pot stills or pot stills with dephlegmator; continuous distillation not used |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 38% ABV; sugar up to 4 g/l, dry extract up to 5 g/l |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Wachauer Marillenbrand → affects → 🍷 Alcohol and health ← affects ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🥃 Distillation
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Fruit spirit
- Related to
- 🏛️ Wachau Cultural Landscape
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Kecskemét apricot pálinka (Kecskeméti Barackpálinka), 🥃 Gönc apricot pálinka (Gönci Barackpálinka), 🥃 Aprikot trentino, 🥃 Wachauer Marillenlikör, 🥃 Wachauer Marillenlikör, 🥃 Wachauer Weinbrand, 🥃 Wachauer Weinbrand, 🥃 Südtiroler Marille, 🥃 Südtiroler Marille
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Wachauer Marillenbrand can be made from any Austrian apricots?
No. Only fully ripe apricots with the protected name 'Wachauer Marille' from the Wachau region, Mautern to Krems, are allowed.
What is the strength of Wachauer Marillenbrand?
At least 38% ABV, slightly above the general EU limit for fruit spirits (37.5%).
Is sugar added?
Only a little, to round the taste: no more than 4 g per litre.
Why are the stones usually removed?
To keep the note of the kernel restrained; whole fruit is mashed gently, the mash is not kept long, and the stones are not put into the still.
How does it differ from Wachauer Marillenlikör?
Marillenbrand is a distillate with no noticeable sugar, from 38% ABV; Marillenlikör is a sweet liqueur from 15% ABV with at least 100 g sugar per litre.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🥃 Südtiroler Marille — Clear distillate of fermented apricots in the province of Bolzano, with a light note of bitter almond. Protected EU name, at least 40% ABV; sugar up to 20 g per litre.
- 🏛️ Wachau Cultural Landscape — A Danube valley in Austria with vine terraces and old towns; a UNESCO heritage site.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
- 🥃 Kecskemét apricot pálinka (Kecskeméti Barackpálinka) — Apricot pálinka from the sandy Kiskunság around Kecskemét: only stone-free apricots from local orchards, from 40 % vol.
Similar
🥃 Südtiroler Marille · 🥃 Abricotine · 🥃 Südtiroler Golden Delicious · 🥃 Südtiroler Gravensteiner · 🥃 Südtiroler Obstler · 🥃 Dolenjski sadjevec
⚠️ 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 (EU GI register), technical file 'Wachauer Marillenbrand', Ref. Ares(2015)4116304 (English): category 9 fruit spirit; min. 38 % vol.; total dry extract ≤ 5 g/l, sugar ≤ 4 g/l; methanol ≤ 1200, HCN ≤ 7 g/hl a.a.; ethyl carbamate ≤ 1 mg/l; volatiles ≥ 400 g/hl a.a.; only fully ripe 'Wachauer Marille' PDO apricots; fruit usually pitted; simple stills or stills with dephlegmator, no continuous distillation; water ≤ 8.4 °dH; 21 municipalities of Wachau–Mautern–Krems; distillery name on the label
- eAmbrosia (EU GI register), technical file 'Wachauer Marillenbrand', Ref. Ares(2015)4116304 (German original)
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex III as at 31.01.2020 (legislation.gov.uk): Austria — Wachauer Marillenbrand (9. Fruit spirit)
- eAmbrosia: summary of the PDO 'Wachauer Marille' (Reg. (EEC) 2081/92 application; Wachau–Mautern–Krems area; the name 'Marille' traced in the area to 1509; commercial apricot growing from 1890; hand harvest up to five times a season)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Annex I: category 9 — fruit spirit (only fruit, distilled < 86 % vol., min. 37.5 % vol., no added alcohol, not flavoured)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)