Brand is a term for a spirit that is exclusively produced through alcoholic fermentation and distillation of fresh fleshy fruit or the fresh must of this fruit (with or without stones), from berries or from vegetables. The commercial designation is Brand preceded by the designation of the starting product, such as apple brandy, pear brandy (the designation Williams is only permissible when using this aromatic pear variety), fig brandy, cherry brandy (or Kirsch), mirabelle brandy, peach brandy, plum brandy or zwetschgen brandy (or also slivovitz), grape brandy, rowanberry brandy and juniper berry brandy. The colloquial term noble brand has no legal significance and does not imply any difference in terms of production technique or quality. Fruit and berry brandies A fruit brandy can also be referred to as water, such as cherry water, or as geist, such as raspberry geist or wine geist, preceded by the used fruit. The addition of alcohol is not permitted. Certain fruits may yield too little alcohol. During fermentation, up to a maximum of 20 liters of agricultural origin ethanol or a distillate of the same fruit may be added per 100 kilograms of fruit. After an appropriate development time, the mash is distilled. This mainly includes berry fruits such as blackberries, strawberries, rose hips, blueberries, raspberries, elderberries, currants, rowanberries and grapes. The distillation must occur at less than 86% vol to preserve the aroma of the distilled starting materials. The minimum alcohol content is 37.5% vol. No flavoring is allowed. In stone fruit brandies, a relatively high amount of the problematic substance ethyl carbamate can be formed due to the cyanide contained in the stones. Specialty brandies Brandies are also produced from wine and various by-products during wine production. These include yeast brandy (from fermentation residues), grape brandy (from grape mash), pomace brandy (from press residues) and wine brandy (from wine). In France and Luxembourg, the term eau-de-vie is common for brandies. Cigar brand refers to barrel-aged spirits that absorb wood aromas during aging. The sweet woody note is particularly popular among smokers. Therefore, such distillates are often consumed with cigars. This includes all products aged in barrels made of oak or chestnut wood, often aged for a long time. Further information See regarding the production of alcoholic beverages under champagne (sparkling wines), distillation (distillates), spirits (types), wine production (wines and wine types) and wine law (wine legal matters). Fruit/Berry Brandies: Gölles GmbH - Riegersburg Austria edited by Norbert F. J. Tischelmayer Cigar brand: by annca on Pixabay.
