Tradition meets enjoyment: The Hörning family has been burning in Birkenfeld for four generations

Tradition meets enjoyment: The Hörning family has been burning in Birkenfeld for four generations

It's an ordinary Saturday morning in Birkenfeld, and as the sun slowly rises, the signs point to great enjoyment. At 6 a.m. Johannes Hörning goes into his distillery to fire up the oven. Today's agenda is distilling cherries, a valuable harvest that he harvested himself six weeks ago. By the way, these cherries come from his mother-in-law's tree, which gives the Hörning family tradition an additional personal touch. The entire distillation process can take up to six hours, a time that the master distiller uses to carefully prepare everything - from the wheelbarrow of beech wood to carefully checking the boiler. This is all part of the family tradition that has been maintained in Birkenfeld for four generations. That's what she reports Mainpost.

Distilling schnapps and liqueur has a long tradition in Germany that goes back to the times of the Sumerians and Egyptians. The processing of wine into high-proof alcohol, also known as “Brandewyn”, has been known since the late Middle Ages at the latest. This heritage continues to be upheld in our region. This also includes the Birkenhof distillery, which has been located in the Westerwald since 1848. The owners and distillers of the Birkenhof distillery, which is now run by the eighth generation, offer a wide range of handmade spirits. Their range ranges from vodka and whiskeys to fine fruit brandies, which are matured in high-quality cognac barrels in the “Birkenhof Master Edition”. This traditional distillery even received the State Honorary Award and the Federal Honorary Award in Gold for its high quality, as the website says Birkenhof distillery reveals.

Creativity when burning

For anyone who wants to do it themselves, the Birkenhof distillery offers the opportunity to convert their own apple harvest into high-alcohol liquor. This happens as part of the so-called co-burning club, which enables participants to create their own, very personal spirits. Those interested can also immerse themselves in the world of flavors by taking part in virtual tasting packages - an offer to discover and enjoy different tastes. Combined with the local tradition of distilling schnapps, a real community experience is created here.

But how did it actually get this far? A look at history shows that without efforts to improve agriculture, many of the traditional distilleries in Germany would never have flourished. In the 19th century, for example, the need to support local agriculture through distilleries was recognized, which economically promoted the cultivation of fruit and especially cherries. This not only helped farmers, but also brought fresh flavors into consumers' glasses. So the next time you enjoy a glass of fine fruit brandy, remember: behind every sip there is a piece of history - a history that dates back to ancient times, when alcohol was used as a precious commodity in healing rituals, as shown on the site Spirits Association is to be experienced.

Whether during the classic distillation of schnapps in Birkenfeld or in the creative still at the Birkenhof distillery - the craft of distilling lives and thrives through passion and tradition. The next time the scent of freshly distilled cherries wafts through the air, we know: it was definitely worth the wait!