Because that is how long it takes us to get the rich and intriguing flavour of these all-fruit liqueurs.
THE FIRST summer we pick up fruits, ferment them and distil a high-quality fruit brandy.
THE SECOND summer we carefully pick up and select the ripest, sweetest and most juicy fruits, which we soak for over 2 months in the pre-made brandy. Through the natural maceration method, we extract additional aromas, flavours and colour. Finally, we balance the sweetness with some added sugar.
It all starts in the summer, in the fruit season. We pick very ripe fruit, of several varieties, to achieve a complex and intense flavour.
We wash the fruit, remove the leaves, stems and the stones (pits). Then, we grind the fruit to obtain a sweet and aromatic mash.
We put the mash in a fermentation tank and add yeast. These are bacteria that like to snack on sugar and in return release carbon dioxide (CO2) but also the ever so valuable chemical compound ethanol (alcohol). The sweeter the fruit in the mash, the more alcohol the yeast will produce. We close the tank with a lid without air access and wait.
In 10 days, when the fermentation (the yeast has eaten all the sugar) is finished, the fruit mash is ready for distillation. This happens in a copper column still that is heated to just over 70 degrees for the ethanol to slowly begin to evaporate. The aromatic vapours rise and, passing through a pipe as they cool, flow down the walls in the form of an aromatic, transparent fruit distillate. It is the main ingredient for our liqueur.
Thus passed the first summer.
Our work begins again next summer - in the fruit season.
We start the second season with sourcing very ripe fruit, wash it and select only the ripest and most aromatic among it. Then, we remove the stems and pits/stones by hand and cut the fruit in half to increase the contact surface.
We soak the fresh fruit in the distillate that we prepared the previous summer. This process is called maceration. After about 2 to 3 months in the distillate 'bath', the fresh fruit has given up its taste and aroma and has coloured the distillate.
In the early autumn, we separate the liquid part, filter it and press the soaked fruit by hand and add their juice to the liquid - we now call it fruit extract. It is more intense in aroma and taste, unlike the initial distillate. The extract is also lower in alcohol and slightly sweet because of the natural sweetness that the fresh fruit has given. To measure what the values are, we give the extract for laboratory analysis.
The final ingredient that turns the extract into a liqueur is the sugar syrup. According to the results of the laboratory analysis, we add a sugar syrup, so that the liqueur has a consistent sugar and alcohol content. We stir the liqueur well to homogenise the ingredients and let it 'rest' for a few weeks.
We filter the well-rested liqueur to give it a clear and bright colour and then bottle it. However, keep in mind that this is a natural product and in some cases, even after fine filtration, a noble sediment could form at the bottom of your bottle.
We filter the well-rested liqueur to give it a clear and bright colour and then bottle it. However, keep in mind that this is a natural product and in some cases, even after fine filtration, a noble sediment could form at the bottom of your bottle.
The final ingredient that turns the extract into a liqueur is the sugar syrup. According to the results of the laboratory analysis, we add a sugar syrup, so that the liqueur has a consistent sugar and alcohol content. We stir the liqueur well to homogenise the ingredients and let it 'rest' for a few weeks.
We filter the well-rested liqueur to give it a clear and bright colour and then bottle it. However, keep in mind that this is a natural product and in some cases, even after fine filtration, a noble sediment could form at the bottom of your bottle.
Working with fruit and being dependent on nature is challenging and complex, therefore, in the development of the liqueurs, we rely on our consultant-technologist Dr. Eng. Nikolay Bakalov, who has many years of experience in the development of alcoholic beverages and wines, with awards from prestigious international events and exhibitions.
The liqueurs "Raspberry" and "Cherry" are produced at the Belgrade Urban Distillery, which specialises in the production of fruit brandies and liqueurs. They cultivate their own plum orchards, guaranteeing the quality of the plums and distillate, which is the basis for our raspberry liqueur.
Our first batch of apricot liqueur is produced in the HKK Isperih distillery, which is a traditional producer of fruit brandies and especially famous for their apricot brandy. In North-Eastern Bulgaria, where the distillery is located, apricot orchards are abundant, which allows us to try different varieties and select the best ripened fruits with minimal transportation.
We partner with two distilleries where our three flavours are produced, skillfully combining tradition with an innovative approach.
If you are a fruit producer and share our values and vision for natural products, drop us a line - we will be happy to meet.
