Fruit brandy

There are many kind of fruits, different from grape, which produce excellent brandies: Cherries (Marasca variety), pears (Williams variety), apples, apricots, blackberries, ribes, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and so on. They are also called «white brandy» and in all probability they were the first alcoholic drinks. It is necessary to have a ripe raw material in order to get a good brandy. The distillation is not particularly difficult, but it is a delicate process because you must get all that is possible from fruits on behalf of aroma and flavour. In Italy, the best fruit brandy is produced in Trentino: it comes from distillation, during which the first device gives rise to an alcoholic product at about 30° degree, from which the head and the tail are separated during the steam circulation. After a further separation from the head and the tail you get a clear and smelling product at about 70°.