Cherries by the Bottle
Since when did the low-class hooch known as kirsch become the stuff of the connoisseur’s table? That’s a question that underscores Eric Felten’s recent “How’s Your Drink?” column in the Wall Street Journal.
Distilled from fermented cherries, pits and all, kirsch is part of the larger category of eau de vie—fruit brandies, typically unaged, that are dry in flavor and intensely aromatic. As Felten points out, a century ago kirsch was, when paired with coffee, a not-uncommon French workingman’s lunch, and the stuff drunk by criminals in grubby Parisian bars.
At first glance, kirsch and other eaux de vie would appear to be simple spirits to manufacture: ferment some fruit, stick it in a still and bingo, you’re there. Manufacturers of some of the cheaper brands take this slapdash ethic to heart, resulting in coarse, hot spirits that would gag most Parisian footpads.
Quality kirsch, though, is a different story. Artisan distilled from ripe, fresh cherries and often bottled soon afterward, the brandy is about as jubilantly naked a spirit as you might ever encounter, with a heady fragrance of cherries followed by a dry, nuanced flavor of the fruit accentuated by a bitter-almond nuttiness from the pits. Not surprisingly, this higher-end kirsch is somewhat beyond the pay grade of 19th century French laborers, with prices often starting around $50 for a 750ml bottle and rising rapidly from there.
Felten recommends the excellent kirsch produced by Oregon’s Clear Creek Distillery—one of my favorites—along with an Italian brandy by Jacopo Poli. Are you a fan of kirsch? What brands do you prefer?
About the author: Paul Clarke blogs about cocktails at The Cocktail Chronicles and writes regularly on spirits and cocktails for Imbibe magazine. He lives in Seattle, where he works as a writer and magazine editor.
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7 Comments:
I have a bottle of Clear Creek Kirsch too. It's great to reconstitute dried sour cherries that I put into my dark chocolate bread pudding.
VoraciousMatt at 3:18PM on 03/12/08
Hm. I have a bottle of Katlenburger Kirsch. Beneath the name, it elaborates on the contents (this was purchased in Germany): 'FRUCHTGLÜHWEIN'. I picked it out because I was curious, and with an alcohol content of 8.5%, I knew I could drink it without my stomach screaming and bleeding. It is dark red, and tastes like cherry juice, mostly.
So, I'm wondering: How many different definitions ARE there of 'kirsch', or is this--I don't know what the 'glü' in 'glüwein' means--actually some concoction of kirsch and... cherry juice? It is certainly nothing like the description above, even though 'kirsch' is the dominant element on the label.
mongoose at 4:06PM on 03/12/08
Keep in mind that "kirsch" is German for "cherry"; in German-speaking regions, the colorless brandy I mention is known more properly as kirschwasser, but "kirsch" is shorthand for the spirit almost everywhere else. Confusing, I admit.
Paul Clarke at 5:13PM on 03/12/08
At the cheese shop the other day my boyfriend bought some cheese flavored with kirsch. He insists that it's very good but I haven't gotten round to trying it yet. I'm a little too obssessed with my smoked English cheddar....mmm...
lo82070 at 6:11PM on 03/12/08
Thanks, this explains a bit... I speak a little German, so apart from 'glü' I recognised the words... but I'd a give a good bit to know what THAT means!
mongoose at 5:06AM on 03/13/08
Mongoose: Glühen means to glow - Glühwein is similar to mulled wine (maybe because it makes your face glow?!) , in your case though it would be cherry wine which can also be drunk warm. Yummy but very different from Kirschwasser.
kanupupi at 7:14AM on 03/14/08
A great Kirsch eaux-de-vie is not easy to produce - a stringent protocol of production must be observed, from the quality of the fruit to the small-batch distilling practices. I am partial to Kirsch vieux from the Swiss producer MORAND but there are many small and large producers of outstanding Kirsch. A glass after dinner is the perfect digestive (but so is a glass of Williams pear, apricot, quince, various plums, or any fine fruit carefully transformed into eaux-de-vie).
epices6 at 1:48PM on 03/14/08