Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur of the Alps

[Friend of the Farmer]

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.

[ludja]

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.

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Thank you, please do start a post on this; I would love to hear more about it as well.

[Friend of the Farmer]

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.

[eje]

I was interested to discover something similar used in a cocktail recipe I was reading recently.

I think on the other side of the border, the french call a similar liqueur "Liqueur de Sapin". However, it is my understanding it is difficult to find even in France.

I believe the Stone Pine is the same pine which eventually produces Pine Nuts.

[Sneakeater]

A REALLY ignorant question:

Am I right in assuming this would be a digestif rather than an apperativ?

[Friend of the Farmer]

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.

Edited February 9, 2006 by Friend of the Farmer (log)

[eje]

Eje - might you still have that drink recipe using the Sapin?  I'll be experimenting once I buy (another) bottle of this.

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It was from a copyrighted magazine (Difford's Guide to Cocktails #5.1), so I assume I shouldn't post it. I'll PM you with it.

It is just Gin and Sapin. It's interesting in that the bartender responsible said it was based on a Jerry Thomas recipe called "Gin and Pine".

Here is the Thomas recipe from The Art of the Drink website. Not sure I will be making it any time soon...

Gin and Pine.

(Use wine-glass.)

Split a piece of the heart of a green pine log into

fine splints, about the size of a cedar lead-pencil, take

two ounces of the same and put into a quart decanter,

and fill the decanter with gin. Let the pine soak for two hours, and the gin will be ready to serve.

[Friend of the Farmer]

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.

[Friend of the Farmer]

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.

[eje]

I just heard from a local Liquor Store that they're going to try out carrying the Zirbenz and the Lauria.

I've had zero luck in getting any Liqueur de Sapin, so I'm excited to try the Stone Pine Liqueur (schnapps?).

[Friend of the Farmer]

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.

[The Cocktail Guru]

I bartend at a cafe in NYC called '202.' It's in the Chelsea Market at 16th St. and 9th Ave. The bar chef their, Stefan, makes sure to have this product behind the bar - he's an Austrian native. If you're in the NY area and want an awesome cocktail using Haus Alpenz Zirbenz, or to try it in a snifter, then take a trip over to '202' for terrific drinks. This stuff really is outstanding!

[Sneakeater]

Hey this stuff is DELICIOUS!!!!!!!

Tonight I'm just drinking it straight. But I can't wait to concoct a gin-maple syrup cocktail.

[ludja]

There was an article in this weekend's Wall Street Journal by Eric Felton about Austrian alpine liqueurs in which he discusses the Zirbenze Stone Pine Liqueur and the Lauria.

I was mailed the link by a subscriber so I'm not sure if it will work for others or for how long: click

It is an interesting article worth seeking out if you have some means to read it.

He also gives a recipe for making a cocktail with the liqueur:

SAIZBURG COCKTAIL

1 oz Zirbenz

1 oz gin

1/4 oz simple (sugar syrup)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon peel.

The article also speaks of the importer, Eric Seed.

Mr. Seed wisely shortened the name to Zirbenz (with its clear luxury assonance), but otherwise left the product and packaging unchanged. It comes in a clear, slender bottle that shows off the rust-red color of the spirit, a hue that comes from the pine fruit. Despite its origin, there is nothing in Zirbenz to suggest Pine-Sol. The nose is spicy and peppery; on the tongue there's a taste of cinnamon and cloves and a touch of sweetness.

Much of the article is devoted to the Lauria Alpine Cream Liqueur that Friend of the Farmer mentions above:

A year and a half ago, Mr. Seed visited Aspen, Colo. There he found a booming scene devoted to "alpine luxury." The only thing missing were the local spirits Mr. Seed knew from Austria. So he headed Alpsward to look for a distiller whose kletzenlikör he could bring back to the States. He found Josef Hofer, a 200-year-old family-owned distillery in the town of Irdning.

...

He chose instead to drink a less bracing local specialty, a rustic cream liqueur called kletzenlikör. Made from pear brandy, fresh local cream and crushed pear purée, kletzenlikör is very much a local delicacy. Mr. Seed developed a taste for it, and in the years since, whenever he would visit Austria he would come home schlepping bottles.

(You won't find the word "Kletzen" in a typical English-German dictionaly, but "Kletzenbrot" is an Austrian fruitcake/bread made from dried pears.)

The article also gives the website for New York's Astor Wines and Spirits that Friend of the Farmer mentioned above(www.astorwines.com) and says that they will ship Zirbenz to many states.

Edited April 9, 2006 by ludja (log)

[ludja]

...

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.

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What type of liqueur or schnapps is "kriechel"?

[Friend of the Farmer]

According to the importer's website, the liqueurs are available at a few shops in the bay area, including John Walker and Plumpjack. My friend in the Bay area also said she saw the Zirbenz at Orbit Room, but don't know what they are mixing it with. Check out the importer's website at www.alpenz.com. I'm kinda bummed the bottle/batch look-up for Zirbenz is not working - of course, it may be in german when it does. The zirbenz/nimbupanni recipe on the site is awesome. Not sure about the mint one, but I don't do mint unless with chocolate.

I'm really curious about the mixing opportunities with Lauria. This liqueur appears to long pre-date Baileys and used in different ways, especially veering more towards expensive dessert-like drinks. I should probably start a separate thread - I've found some interesting recipes to share, and have emailed the importer for assistance (think I'll get any free samples?).

Hi Ludja - kriechel is a type of plum - apparently each plum has its own name and nickname, and this one in liqueur/schnaps is prized by my austrian friends. I've never tried it myself.

Edited April 10, 2006 by Friend of the Farmer (log)

[M.X.Hassett]

Here is a store that will deliver "Un Sapin" STORE

This drink is intended to be sipped chilled, neat at the end of a meal, however it is great over vanilla ice cream! For a taste of the French Jura, try it as a glaze base on a holiday ham.

[eje]

This week's Cocktailian column in the SF Chronicle covers Zirbenz, including a recipe for an, "Austrian Martini".

This martini rocks, Gary Regan

Zirbenz is made from the fruit of an Austrian pine tree, and the flavor is predominantly, well, pine. There are floral notes too, but it's a liqueur that the Professor uses sparingly in cocktails, lest it take over the drink completely. Zirbenz can also be served neat or straight from the freezer and is popular at ski resorts, both here and in Europe.

[KatieLoeb]

My schnapps collection:

There's Marillen, nut and Obstler in here for sure. I don't think I have the plum and I've definitely never tried the Stone Pine schnapps, but now will seek some out. I usually serve these chilled after dinner in a grappa glass as a digestif.

[eje]

FotF was wondering what the bartenders at Absinthe were up to with Zirbenz. In the interest of scientific liqueur research, I nobly sacrificed my liver in a quest to discover the cocktail. Called the the "Georgie Shaw" the cocktail contains scotch, zirbenz, pimm's #1, and regan's orange bitters stirred with ice. It is garnished with a long orange twist. Something like 2 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/2 oz, as far as I could judge.

Unfortunately, I'm not much of a scotch drinker, so to me the peaty flavor of whatever scotch* it was completely overwhelmed the other ingredients. I tried my best but couldn't detect any trace of Zirbenz or Pimms in the cocktail. Also, while I was watching another bartender scale the wall of the bar to get down the bottle of Zirbenz, I missed which brand of scotch my bartender put into the cocktail.

I've been trying to avoid the obvious gin and pine cocktail, and have been thinking that the flavor of Zirbenz might nicely complement the herbaceous and almost musty flavor of the Sazerac 6, possibly garnished with a Meyer Lemon twist and a thyme sprig.

Will report back, once I have results of that experiment.**

BTW, the bartenders and managers at Absinthe have a book coming out later this fall. Called, "The Art of the Bar," it is a big colorful coffee table size book with attractive photos and recipes for many of the classic and signature cocktails that have been popular at the restaurant over the years.

*I checked my notes, and the scotch was William Grant.

**First try was not quite there. 2oz Saz 6 rye, 1/2 oz Zirbenz, dash angostura, garnished with lemon and thyme. I think with a dash of simple and 1/4 oz meyer lemon juice this will be right on.

Edited June 15, 2006 by eje (log)

[eje]

Sorry to be particular about ingredients in this one. The flavor of the Sazerac whiskies really suggested themselves to me in combination with the Zirbenz and the musky weirdness of fresh squeezed meyer lemons. If you use another whiskey or regular lemons, you won't be having the same cocktail.

Saaz Junior

2 oz Sazerac 6 year

1/2 oz Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur

1/4 oz Meyer Lemon Juice

dash angostura bitters

dash rich simple syrup

Combine ingredients in an iced cocktail shaker and stir to chill. Strain into a cocktail glass.

[ludja]

Sounds interesting, and thanks for the tip regarding Absinthe having the liqueur. I may stop by there and try some of it straight up to get get an idea of how it tastes on its own. Sounds like there a few places to check it out in SF including the Orbit Room as Friend of the Farmer suggested.

Meyer lemons really do have a lot less acidity than regular lemons, besides the extra orange-floral taste they provide so I can see how that could make a difference in a carefully balanced cocktail.

[Friend of the Farmer]

The importer has posted a recipe from Employees Only in NY that looks quite tasty, but I can't find Power's whiskey in my locale - any suggestion for substitutes? I'm assuming this is a re-take on the Brown Derby.

Pinewood Derby

Zirbenz

Power's whisky

Grapefruit juice

almond syrup

source: Robert Krueger, Employees Only (NY)

Aside from trying this, I'd like to serve something for the holidays with this stuff and peppermint or spice. So now experimenting with an all-natural peppermint extract, but don't want to kill the pine floral nose of the Zirbenz.

[slkinsey]

FotF, do you have any actual amounts for this recipe?

Powers is an Irish whiskey. You can substitute either Jameson or Bushmills, both of which have wide availability.

[Friend of the Farmer]

the recipe is off the Haus Alpenz website and didn't give quantities.

Is the Power's that similar to Jameson or Bushmills? If so what a shame.

Somehow inspired and lacking Powers we tried mixing with simply with equal parts Calvados and a few drops of almond extract and it was lovely. Nonetheless will try with the substitute Irish whiskey.

And for that holiday cocktail. As hoped, the peppermint extract didn't harm the pine floral nose, gave a breezy chill, and with gin its already quite the aromatic winter experience. Unlike with this Derby above, once ready I'll post with proportions.