(

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

for 'spirit') is a distilled beverage obtained by maceration of unfermented

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

or other raw materials in neutral spirits, followed by

distillation Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heat ...

. This differs from

fruit brandy In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...

, where the alcohol comes from fermenting the fruit's naturally occurring sugars. As such, ''geist'' can be made from a much wider range of materials, as it is not limited to fruits with sufficient fermentable sugars. ''Geist'' can be produced from a single material (like ''

Himbeergeist Himbeergeist (''lit'' "raspberry spirit", also known as raspberry spirit obtained by maceration and distillation, eau de vie de framboise or simply framboise) is a geist (type of fruit brandy or ''Schnapps'') made from raspberries. It is prod ...

'') or a combination of multiple ingredients.

Akvavit ''Akvavit'' or ''aquavit'' (; also ''akevitt'' in Norwegian; ''aquavit'' in English) is a distilled spirit that is principally produced in Scandinavia, where it has been produced since the 15th century. ''Akvavit'' is distilled from grain or po ...

, most gins and white absinthes legally meet the description to be considered a ''geist'', although they have more specific legal definitions.

European Union

''Geist''

As per the EU regulations that define of spirit drinks, ''geist'' must be produced by maceration of unfermented fruits and berries or vegetables, nuts, other plant materials, such as herbs, rose petals, or mushrooms, in ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, followed by distillation. ''Geist'' must contain at least 37.5% alcohol by volume, it cannot contain added colours or flavours, and it may not contain more than 10 grams of sweetening products per litre (expressed as invert sugar).

Spirit obtained by maceration and distillation

''Geist'' can also be named "

Spirit Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...

obtained by maceration and

" only if it has been produced from the following fruits, berries or nuts: *

chokeberry ''Aronia'' is a genus of deciduous shrubs, the chokeberries, in the family Rosaceae native to eastern North America and most commonly found in wet woods and swamps. The genus Aronia is considered to have 3 species. The most common and wide ...

* black chokeberry * chestnut *

citrus fruits ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is nativ ...

* hazelnut *

crowberry ''Empetrum nigrum'', crowberry, black crowberry, or, in western Alaska, blackberry, is a flowering plant species in the heather family Ericaceae with a near circumboreal distribution in the Northern Hemisphere. It is usually dioecious, but there ...

* strawberry *

sea-buckthorn ''Hippophae'' is the genus of sea buckthorns, deciduous shrubs in the family Elaeagnaceae. The name sea buckthorn may be hyphenated to avoid confusion with the unrelated true buckthorns (''Rhamnus'', family Rhamnaceae). It is also referred to as ...

holly ''Ilex'' (), or holly, is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are evergreen o ...

berry * cornel cherry or cornelian cherry *

walnut A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true ...

* banana * myrtle * prickly pear *

passion fruit ''Passiflora edulis,'' commonly known as passion fruit, is a vine species of passion flower native to southern Brazil through Paraguay and northern Argentina. It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its sweet, seedy ...

* bird cherry *

sloe ''Prunus spinosa'', called blackthorn or sloe, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. The species is native to Europe, western Asia, and regionally in northwest Africa. It is locally naturalisation (biology), naturalized ...

* blackcurrant * white currant * redcurrant * gooseberry *

rosehip The rose hip or rosehip, also called rose haw and rose hep, is the accessory fruit of the various species of rose plant. It is typically red to orange, but ranges from dark purple to black in some species. Rose hips begin to form after pollinat ...

* arctic bramble *

cloudberry ''Rubus chamaemorus'' is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae, native to cool temperate regions, alpine and arctic tundra and boreal forest. This herbaceous perennial produces amber-colored edible fruit similar to the blackbe ...

blackberry The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the genus ''Rubus'' in the family Rosaceae, hybrids among these species within the subgenus ''Rubus'', and hybrids between the subgenera ''Rubus'' and ''Idaeobatus''. The taxonomy ...

* raspberry *

elderberry ''Sambucus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly called elder or elderberry. The genus was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified as Adoxaceae due to ge ...

* rowanberry * sorb apple *

wild service tree ''Sorbus torminalis'', with common names wild service tree, chequers, and checker tree, is a species of tree in the mountain ash or rowan genus (''Sorbus'') of the rose family (Rosaceae), that is native to Europe, parts of northern Africa and we ...

* ambarella *

hog plum Hog plum is a common name for several plants that produce edible fruit, and may refer to: *Species of the genus ''Spondias'' **''Spondias dulcis'' **'' Spondias mombin'' **'' Spondias pinnata'' *Species of the genus ''Colubrina'' *'' Prunus rivulari ...

* high bush blueberry * wild cranberry * bilberry/ blueberry * cowberry

Elderberry ''Sambucus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly called elder or elderberry. The genus was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified as Adoxaceae due to ge ...

''geist'' can therefore be named "Elderberry spirit obtained by maceration and distillation" but elderflower ''geist'' cannot.

References

{{Alcoholic beverages Alcoholic drinks Distilled drinks

European Union

''Geist''

Spirit obtained by maceration and distillation

See also

References