Hämmerle Apricot Brandy

Hämmerle Apricot is a perfect example of Austrian craftsmanship and tradition.

The Freihof Distillery started as a public house — a rooming house with a pub attached to it — in Austria back in 1885. From there is wasn’t long before they started distilling and flavoring their own spirits. Soon the distilling business crowed out the pub and inn. Since then they have consistently turned out specialty spirits and liqueurs. They pride themselves on avoiding mass market products, choosing to focus on tasty regional and artisanal specialties.

Apricots (Marille) are one of the more traditional fruits used in the production of high-quality Austrian Schnaps. Yes, we recognize that in America “Schnapps” has a rather poor reputation — but that’s really unfair because France, Italy, and eastern Europe all have their regional fruit Brandies that are highly respected. And that is EXACTLY what we have here. In this case, think of Hämmerle Apricot as a young fruit Brandy masterfully distilled. The resulting spirit is viscous with a savory and fruity flavor that explodes on the palate without being overly sweet.