Apricot Brandy – 700 ml

Gölles Marillenbrand 700 ml. Clear apricot fruit for the home bar and kitchen.

Gölles Marillenbrand, bottled here in 700 ml, is a fine spirit made from fully ripe Styrian and Hungarian apricot varieties, distilled twice in copper. No liqueur, no spirit with added alcohol, no barrel aging.

Gölles Marillenbrand is a clear fruit spirit from the Riegersburg distillery Gölles, made entirely from apricots. For households that enjoy offering a spirit after dinner, it is a reliable companion. The aroma recalls fresh apricots on the tree, not jam. With the large bottle, you have enough for many guests and for one idea or another in the kitchen.

Fruity in aroma, dry on the palate

The apricot spirit smells of freshly picked, fully ripe apricots, not cooked fruit. On the palate, it is clear and dry, with only a hint of the fruit's sweetness. A delicate acidity gives it tension, and the finish remains fruity without becoming perfumed.

Some guests mistake apricot spirit for apricot liqueur and expect sweetness. Anyone expecting a sweet spirit should know beforehand that there is no sugar involved here. Some guests may initially find it too dry. The structure comes solely from the fruit and alcohol. That is precisely what makes it interesting for connoisseurs. Its color is crystal clear, like all clear spirits from the house.

From the tulip glass to the apricot jam

Pure, it is best enjoyed at 16 to 18 °C in a bulbous glass with a narrow rim. The bottle fills about 35 small glasses. That is enough for several evenings with friends or a large family celebration.

The spirit also has its place at the stove. A dash in the apricot roaster deepens the fruit, as does the filling for Palatschinken or the dough for an apricot cake. When preserving apricot jam, 2 cl per kilo of fruit just before bottling gives a fine spirit note. For dishes eaten by children, this is of course not suitable.

Good to know: Stored upright, cool, and protected from light, a fine spirit is unlimited in shelf life according to the distillery. So the large bottle loses nothing even with infrequent use. Anyone who wants to get to know the spirit first should start with the smaller 350-ml bottle.

July, three varieties and two distillations

The apricot harvest at Gölles falls in July and lasts only a few days for each variety. Barely a week separates full ripeness from over-ripeness. The Hungarian Beste, Rosenmarille, and Kulmland apricot varieties are added to the mash. The varieties differ in aroma and acidity and complement each other in the spirit.

Stone fruit is pitted in Riegersburg before fermentation, then the mash ferments at 18 to 20 °C, so cool. The first distillation takes three to four hours, followed by four to six hours for the second. The first and last portions of the distillate are discarded. Only the heart, in which the fruit tastes clearest, is stored.

Gölles is one of the founders of the Quinta Essentia association, which requires one hundred percent fruit for fine spirits. For comparison: a spirit is made with ten percent fruit, the rest is added alcohol.

The host bottle for summer and winter

What sets the large bottle apart is its versatility between the glass and the cooking pot. After a light summer meal, as well as after a winter roast, the apricot spirit finds its place. It suits grilled fish with herbs just as well as roast pork with bread dumplings. It is best given as a gift to hosts who enjoy entertaining and are looking for a permanent fixture in the home bar.

Anyone who wants to serve guests with a preference for sweets alongside the spirit can complement it with the apricot liqueur from the same house. This way, the apricot is twice on the table, once clear and once mild. Every guest can then choose which side of the fruit appeals to them more.

An apricot spirit for many rounds, showing how much summer can be contained in a clear bottle from Styria.