Spirits
Spirits
Spirits are an excellent welcome drink, great for slow sipping and for making invigorating cocktails. A particular speciality are fruit and herbal spirits that pamper you with their flavour and soothing properties.
Good flavour for feeling good
Your home bar cabinet should also contain some homemade brandy. Spirits made from fruit or herbs invigorate your senses and have a beneficial effect, especially on cold winter days. Liqueurs, prestigious brands of whisky or cognac and the popular tequila are all excellent choices for an aperitif. And every baking enthusiast knows how to elevate a dessert with the addition of rum.
Healing spirits from behind the monastery walls
You don’t have to go far for a good spirit. Let’s peek behind the walls of the Pleterje Charterhouse, where monks produce wine as well as fruit brandy made from plums, apples and other fruits. They are especially proud of the Pleterje pear, grown inside a bottle, and their exquisite bitters, in which fruit brandy is enriched with as many as 49 herbs. These not only provide good taste, but in small quantities also improve our well-being.
Herbs and other medicinal plants are regularly used by monks in making drinks. One such concoction is honey liqueur with herbs, which give the drink an even nobler aroma and flavour. The Pleterje Monastery also produces juniper and walnut spirit. For the fairer sex, they prepare a wine liqueur from sweetened žametovka wine.
Harmonious flavours of whiskies from foreign lands
When you think of whisk(e)y, your mind carries you to Scotland or Ireland. Scotland is home to the floral-fruity Chivas Regal, the first licensed whisky from Speyside, the legendary Johnnie Walker and the sweet Aberlour, one of the most prized single malts of this area, whose tradition dates back to the 19th century.
And Ireland gave us the world-famous Jameson with delicate notes of vanilla, spices, nuts and a hint of wooden oak barrels, in which it matured for four long years. From across the pond, Jack Daniel’s, one of the best-selling whiskeys in the world, spread its reputation to Europe. And over in the land of the rising sun, Nikka From The Barrel whisky composed its melody of fruits and grains.
A short sip and a long savouring of cognac
Cognac is an elite drink that is enjoyed in peace, slowly and intimately with special people, not in loud company or at a party. It is a drink for special occasions. The best are produced in France, such as Hennessy, Rémy Martin, Meukow and one of the most famous cognacs Martell. Its producers started their successful journey in the 17th century and are known for the oldest and rarest spirits.
Spirits can also be drunk mixed with other beverages. Vodka and tequila in particular work great in cocktails with orange or lemon juice, and rum with its strong aroma and sophisticated flavour is also an excellent addition. You can prepare world-famous mixed drinks and cocktails in the comfort of your home and sip them slowly with your friends to capture all the flavours they offer. To let your eyes enjoy them too, decorate the glasses with fruit, coloured sugar, leaves or flowers.
Common questions
Which glass is suitable for spirits?
The spirit glass should be narrower at the top to retain the aroma. Unlike a wine glass, it is short and without a stem so we can hold it in the palm of our hand. The cognac glass, on the other hand, has a characteristic foot, so that the warmth of our hand can warm the drink.
What do the cognac labels XO, VS and VSOP mean?
These labels denote how old the ingredients in the cognac are. VS indicates that the youngest ingredient of the cognac is two years old, the VSOP label indicates an age of at least four years, and XO of at least ten years.
How to drink tequila?
Tequila is a special type of spirit obtained from fermented blue agave juice, which is distilled in special barrels. Due to its specific taste and long tradition, it can be combined with various additions. You can drink it in combination with salt and lime or lemon, with beer or with tonic. Of course, it is also delicious on its own, without any additions, and its flavours will transport your mind to warm Mexico.