Friend of the Farmer

If you're into more traditional/authentic liqueurs, on a recent trip to London I sampled two exceptional products from the 400+ yr old house of Berry Bros. & Rudd. Neither are available for sale in the USA. They appear to have a deep loyal customer base in the UK and have long sold as a house specialty for the old private clubs. One is the Scottish Highland Liqueur a recipe to capture the tastes fruits of Scotland with a malt Whisky base and a combination of honey, cranberry and raspberry. Mildly sweet, and does amazingly well at capturing the smoke and peat notes of better malt whiskeys. The Kings Ginger Liqueur - (and I copy the story from the label here) "This unique liqueur became famous in the reign of King Edward VII when, at the request of the King's doctor, it was produced as a warming drink for His Majesty to take his morning rides in his new horseless carriage." It has a smooth ginger flavour with a clean dry finish. Have any of you tried these?

What a great way to remind bar customers that alcohol can also be used to preserve lab specimens, and recall in the minds of customers their own experience with science class dissections and the taste/smell of formalin. Alternately, this can remind customers of bugs and other potential health hazards in a food/beverage setting. And perhaps like some out there, I do know of someone who's died from an animal bite (snake, not scorpion). Remind me know, isn't vodka supposed to be colorless and flavorless? You would think an industry trade group would self-censure this one so as not to spoil the party.

given some of the fares I've seen between NYC and Paris, you may have a good arbitrage opportunity provided you've got sturdy luggage. Also pack wine and declare it all as wine - I bring over all sorts of funky booze (though none yet cuban) and even when sent to the ag line for inspection - twice now - never once a problem, nor any close inspection, nor even asked to pay duty. honestly they are more interested in agricultural hazards...and you really do see alot of that when you get sent over to the ag line. while packing the cuban rum, don't ignore the cuban coffee. Have you checked what's for sale in Canada?

So I've done some research on the various pine liqueurs in the European and (now) US market, and to my findings they break down into three general categories: 1) pine-fruit derived (what eventually becomes a pinecone) 2) pine-bud derived (young shoots of needles) 3) pine-nut derived 1) The pine-fruit derived is the main subject of this thread - Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur - and the tradition of this type is that it uses the fruit of a pine largely unique to the high alps, where the fruit is unusually lush for a short period, and the folklore of picking it are as old as the hills. Also known as zirbenschnaps, it is only produced via a maceration process so as to capture a full bouquet, a depth of red hue colors, and a complex flavor. One distiller told me that because the fruit is so expensive, distillation would push the price over EU100 for a liter and narrow the taste closer to Liqueur de Sapin. The best use principally pine fruit and pure alcohol, the lesser quality will infuse with obstler and/or other fruit flavoring. 2) The pine-bud derived is a specialty of the Franche-Comte region of France (near the Swiss border) and uses the young shoots of needles. The Liqueur de Sapin employs a half maceration, half distillate process, where the maceration is typically a very short two day soak, combined with a distillate that has been soaked in dry buds for ~ two weeks. The end result is a greenish liqueur that is floral, (for some) sweet, and sometimes biting. I'm awaiting more samples of these from France, so better tasting notes later. There are also eaux-de-vie using the pine bud which can capture the nose well before the high octane distillate weighs in. Clear Creek Distillery is producing one - can someone comment on it? 3) The pine-nut based will sometimes also use the buds/needles, and is best known in Austria as Zirbengeist. It is always a clear spirit, no sugar, and to highlight the 'Geist' (ghost in german language) will most always picture a long bearded old mountain man on the label! The 'geist is generally inexpensive (often a mix of distillate with grain alcohol) and in a blind test, has only a hint of pine taste.

Absent any better immediate options, theres always Bailoni Marillenlikor (which IMO is still better than the Brizard variation). Otherwise it appear that the Freihof variety is in the US, as is a new Australian variety from Tamborine Mountain Distillery. Try your search under Marillen and see what come up. And do let us know what you find and taste...

Best ever was one in Singapore that used fresh crushed szechuan peppercorns, which have an extraordinary depth of flavor and make a nice little numb to the tongue. The bloody also had lime juice and horseradish. If you were wondering, the import embargo on szechuan peppercorns (into the US) was lifted last year. In Delhi we had one that used Asafoetida (hing), which had all the depth the spice provides. If you're not familiar with this spice, be careful to pre-mix this in the kitchen as the spice alone is truly fetid. Any good Indian spice shop will have this spice.

I'd be curious to hear from the cocktail consultants on how they deal with a potential (or even just perception of) conflict of interest when serving both suppliers and buyers. Do you feel compelled to use your producer's products in the cocktails you recommend to client bars? And alternately, do you hesistate from recommending products that compete with your supplier clients' spirits? Note of disclosure here - I'm also a consultant myself (albeit sadly in a different field) and face similar pressures, so I'm interested in how you handle this with your customers.

Thanks all - I'll report back anything exceptional.

For personal and friendly service, its hard to beat David and either Barbara at Beekman Liquors in midtown. And yes, they have an outstanding collection of burgundy and pinot noir.

This is great - wish I could extend my stay. Any suggestions for retail shops? I'm always searching for something new.

ha! I'm on the same mission, in the city early part of the week. So far I've got Frisson on my list, looking for more suggestions.

rr1016 - if you liked the rum cream, see what you think of the austrian mountain cream liqueur they've got as special order at Blaue Gans. Be sure to ask for it chilled! I've read that a mangosteen juice is coming into the US market - anyone know about this? Why the fruit itself is not legal for import (principally from Malaysia and Indonesia) is an affront.

k43 - I did a search and couldn't find any Lakka or listed cloudberry in the usa. for those searching for a particular wine or spirit, you may want to try the US TTB's public cola registry: https://www.ttbonline.gov/colasonline/publi...chColasBasic.do TTB mandates that every wine or spirit sold in the US must first register its label with TTB, so here you'll find most every product (and its label) listed. Not the most user friendly, but good for those of us in the hunt for the obscure. For those that like Nocino, I'd also suggest trying some of the spiced variations from Austria and Switzerland. Best so far has been a walnut liqueur from Linz spiced with enzian, lemon, and pine. Made by a local distillery in Linz called Purkhart, who make maybe 30 different liqueurs, none of which are likely sold beyond the Linz-Salzburg region. Well worth a stop into their shop if you take the cheepie flights from Stansted to Linz to alpine skiing.

I've found my info and the link to the importers website, www.alpenz.com where you have to click through successive links for more and more information. These guys are all over the Colorado, but not so much on the coasts. But this is neat - it appears you'll be able to punch in your bottle number and get details on the fruit harvest and production lot! The drink recipes are unusual, especially the Indian summer drink and the South African one with Rooibos tea. Think these are from the Austrian bar chef guys (Trummer?) They also import the Lauria Alpine Cream Liqueur, which at Cloud 9 in Aspen was more like a dessert than a drink (albeit was served bone cold there). Too bad they don't import any of the uber-premium marillenschnaps, kriechel or enzian liqueurs.

Don't give up on those antique siphons - we've been able to find the rubber gaskets at better hardware stores - so have some beauties in full operation for a grand presentation. eje is right- there is nothing like a fresh soda.

Is anyone familiar with the jaggery-based liqueurs of Burma and India? I'd be shocked if available stateside, so will otherwise try by infusion. We're working on a Burmese-themed meal as part of a departures series, so were working on drink complements to the Burmese tea salad.

Snowy - are you sure the chinese liqueur with gecko didn't contain formalin?

I contacted an Austrian friend in Colorado who's had success with a cocktail of Zirbenz Stone Pine and Gin, lemon juice, maple syrup, on ice. That said, said he sells most straight into a snifter. I'll pick up more next week when back in NY - I called ahead and Beekman and Astor have in stock. The olympic crowd here cleaned me out, and I've got a crème brulee waiting. Let me know if any of you have tried or will try and have cocktail suggestions. I'm going to try to find the importer. Also got the story v.v. pine nuts. Pine nuts used to come principally from a related pine, Pinus Pinea, whereas this uses Pinus Cembra. Pinea grows at lower elevations, and popular in Italy, wheras Cembra is mostly in high elevations - hence this mystique. That said, most pine nuts now come from China. The same austrian friend said that there is also in Austria a distillate from pine nuts called zirbengeist - total fire water! Tastes very very different than this liqueur made from the pine fruit.

A friend who is working on his import license said that the US ATF strictly limits the metric sizes legal for sale in the US. So a 1.14 liter would not be legal to sell, nor would standard European sizes such as 500ml or 350ml. I've challenged him over the legality of the 200ml size, currently used by Hanger 1 and a few others - and have a dinner at the new La Belle Vie in Minneapolis riding on this one!!

At Wallse and (they said the new Blaue Gans), its served as a digestif in a cool grappa glass, but its tradition is as an apres ski. In Colorado I had it in a snifter, which is does better justice to the amazing nose on this liqueur. Eje - might you still have that drink recipe using the Sapin? I'll be experimenting once I buy (another) bottle of this.

Where is the location of the new downtown Lola? I'm somewhat torn btw Lola and Lolita for my sole booking slot when in Cleveland in late March. Tremont is nice for having a variety of quality restaurants in walking distance. Otherwise excited for brunch, again, at Fire in Shaker Square...

I'm still searching for the printed info and have sent an email to the importer, but here's what I know. - The liqueur has a long history in the Austrian Alps, and has developed a following at top austrian and french resorts over the past 5 years. - Waiter said that Austrians prize the liqueur because the fruit used is what becomes a pine cone, from a special pine tree that is impossibly difficult to reach; consequently there is very limited production of the liqueur. Apparently the alpine farmers must climb the hills then up the tree during the short time this fruit is ripe, before it turns into the more familiar cone. Try a websearch on zirbenschnaps. - Taste is like the smell of the holiday tree or an alpine trail, slightly sweet, very smooth, pine floral finish. Yes, I'm hooked. Austrians serve it in a grappa glass, but it belongs in a snifter. I'm going to do some more research on this, find those papers, and post when I've got more. If anyone out there is familiar, please chime in.

The Bailoni is commonly available, as is the Nannerl, but the quality is dubious. My Austrian friends and customers were critical on the quality of both, saying they are trying to sell into the US "schnapps" market, rather than the vigorously competitive Austrian market. They say the best captures the fruit in its essence! While Vienna duty free does have a decent selection of larger brands, I'm going to aim for boutique/premier brands. I'll call to Wallse in NY for their recommendations. Are there any restaurants or sommoliers you'd recommend I also contact? Thanks all.

Have you tried Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur of the Alps? I had it last month at Cloud 9 Bistro at Aspen, and saw it again last week at Wallse in New York. To the Austrians from the alps, it is the taste of alpine luxury. My server said it was from a rare fruit of a high mountain pine, only in the alps. I've bought a number of bottles as gifts this past holiday season. I'll try to find the info I picked up and start a post. Perhaps some of the alpine chefs/sommoliers could chime in - I'd like to learn more.

I saw it last week at Astor Wine & Spirits in NYC. Give them a call - the staff there is great.