Fruit Brandies, Liqueurs, & Grappa
Fruit Brandy
Craft-method fruit brandies are made by carefully fermenting a batch of whole or crushed fruit, then distilling the results on a pot-still. Using craft methods of distillation captures the rich complexity of the fruit itself. Unaged fruit brandy is also called by the French term eau-de-vie, “water of life.”
Liqueurs
Fruit-based liqueurs are made by a maceration of fruit in spirits, or by adding brandy to a fruit juice or to a wine or cider made from fruit, which is called “fortification”. Brining a liqueur to roughly 20% alcohol preserves the rich taste of its fruit and keeps the liqueur from oxidizing. Getting the percentage right is a tricky line to draw. Good liqueurs capture fruit’s wonderful lusciousness without being overly sweet, which almost all big brands are. Many well-known liqueurs are over 30% sugar; almost all of them save money by using mediocre fortification material. www.germain-robin.com
Absinthe
Grappa
Made from the entire grape, not just the normal pomace residue. These grappas are not the horrors people make in their back rooms, or by adding water and sugar to crushed grapes that have been lying around too long. Good grappas are intense, but they’re also beautifully flavored. www.germain-robin.com
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GERMAIN-ROBIN Grappa of Syrah/Zinfandel
Germain-Robin distiller Joe Corley had 2 small lots of wine, both great, and combined them to get enough to distill one batch 0f grappa. These are favorite varietals: lush fruit, precise Zin structure, deep Syrah presence. An earlier Syrah was Wine & Spirits Mag's Grappa of the Year.
375 ml / 43% abv
$55.00
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GERMAIN-ROBIN Grappa of Viognier
Utter succulence. Distilled from old-vine grapes, all apricot & peach/pear. The 2001 release from these grapes was awarded the highest score The Wine Enthusiast has ever given a grappa: 97. “Very floral, surprisingly delicate, noticeably smooth” – Press Democrat 2013
375 ml / 43.2% abv
$85.00
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GERMAIN-ROBIN Grappa of Zinfandel
Spicy fruitiness and a remarkably clean Zin structure. We are happy to be back in stock with a favorite Germain-Robin grappa (they skip years when the grapes aren't good enough). This bottling was distilled in 2003. An earlier version won a Gold Medal at Monterey.
375 ml / 41.4% abv
$55.00
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