🥃 Wachauer Marillenlikör
Austrian fruit liqueur made only from 'Wachauer Marille' apricots, with no flavourings: protected EU name, at least 15% ABV, at least 100 g sugar per litre.
Wachauer Marillenlikör, a protected EU name, is an Austrian fruit liqueur made from apricots of the Wachau valley. The fruit must be the protected 'Wachauer Marille', and the finished liqueur is made in the 21 municipalities of the Wachau region, from Mautern to Krems. It must be at least 15% ABV, with at least 100 g of sugar per litre.
How it is made. Most often it is a liqueur based on fruit juice: at least 20 litres of apricot juice per 100 litres of finished drink, sometimes with pulp. The base is agricultural alcohol, Wachauer Marillenbrand, or a mixture of the two. Flavouring the liqueur is forbidden; it is sweetened only with sugar.
Label markings. If the base is only Wachauer Marillenbrand, the label may read '100% Wachauer Marillenbrand' or '100% liqueur on distillate', and such a liqueur may be called premium. According to the technical description, a liqueur on neutral spirit smells more natural and fruitier, while one on distillate is fuller and spicier.
Colour and taste. The liqueur is clear or naturally slightly cloudy, from reddish-yellow to golden-orange, without brown tones. A spicy mineral aroma comes from the local varieties selected from 1900 to 1960 and from the Wachau climate, with large differences between day and night temperatures. The name has been protected since 1994, before Austria joined the EU in 1995.
Why it matters to you. The name Wachauer Marillenlikör guarantees Wachau apricots and no flavourings, but it is a sweet, strong drink: from 15% ABV and at least 100 g of sugar per litre. The WHO notes that there is no safe amount of alcohol.
Facts
| EU category | liqueur (category 33 in Regulation (EU) 2019/787); protected Austrian name |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | protected name since 29.08.1994; technical description PGI-AT-02037, Ref. Ares(2017)1258247 |
| Raw material | 'Wachauer Marille' apricots (at least 20 l juice per 100 l); agricultural spirit and/or Wachauer Marillenbrand; sugar |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 15% ABV; sugar from 100 g/l |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Wachauer Marillenlikör → kind of → 🍸 Liqueurs → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Maceration
- Made from
- 🥃 Fruit spirit
- What it contains
- 🍬 Sugar
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🍸 Liqueurs
- Related to
- 🏛️ Wachau Cultural Landscape
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Wachauer Marillenbrand, 🥃 Wachauer Marillenbrand, 🥃 Wachauer Weinbrand, 🥃 Wachauer Weinbrand, 🥃 Südtiroler Marille, 🥃 Südtiroler Marille
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Wachauer Marillenlikör has apricot flavouring added?
No. The technical description forbids flavouring the liqueur: the taste comes only from 'Wachauer Marille' apricots and the spirit base.
What is the strength of Wachauer Marillenlikör?
At least 15% ABV, with at least 100 g of sugar per litre.
How many apricots are in the liqueur?
In a juice-based liqueur, at least 20 litres of apricot juice per 100 litres of finished drink.
What does '100% Wachauer Marillenbrand' on the label mean?
That the spirit base is only Wachau apricot distillate, with no neutral spirit; such a liqueur may be called premium.
How does it differ from Wachauer Marillenbrand?
Marillenbrand is a distillate from 38% ABV with almost no sugar; Marillenlikör is a sweet liqueur from 15% ABV.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🥃 Fruit spirit — A spirit from fermented fruit, berries or vegetables: from 37.5% vol., no added alcohol or flavourings; kirsch, Williams, pálinka.
- 🍷 Maceration — Steeping the juice with the skins to extract colour, tannins and aroma.
- 🥃 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.
Similar
🥃 Genepì del Piemonte · 🥃 Finnish berry liqueur (Suomalainen Marjalikööri) · 🥃 Génépi des Alpes · 🥃 Mirto di Sardegna · 🥃 Mariazeller Magenlikör · 🥃 Licor de hierbas de Galicia
⚠️ 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 Marillenlikör', PGI-AT-02037, Ref. Ares(2017)1258247 (English): category 32 liqueur; min. 15 % vol.; sugar min. 100 g/l; as fruit-juice liqueur min. 20 l of juice per 100 l; fruit only 'Wachauer Marille' PDO; base agricultural ethanol and/or 'Wachauer Marillenbrand'; not flavoured; reddish-yellow to golden-orange; produced in the 21 municipalities of Wachau–Mautern–Krems; label '100 % Wachauer Marillenbrand' or '100 % distillate liqueur' when made only on the brandy; may bear 'premium liqueur'
- eAmbrosia (EU GI register), technical file 'Wachauer Marillenlikör', Ref. Ares(2017)1258247 (German original)
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex III as at 31.01.2020 (legislation.gov.uk): Austria — Wachauer Marillenlikör (32. Liqueur)
- 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 33 — liqueur (min. 15 % vol., sugar from 100 g/l in general)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)