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Gentian spirit (also Gentian schnapps, or Enzian liquor) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage originating in mountainous areas, produced from the roots of the
Gentian spirit (also Gentian schnapps, or Enzian liquor) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage originating in mountainous areas, produced from the roots of the gentian
''Gentiana'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the gentian family (Gentianaceae), the tribe Gentianeae, and the monophyletic subtribe Gentianinae. With about 400 species it is considered a large genus. They are notable for their mostl ...
plant.
Production
Gentian is produced from the gentian plant's root,, §18(a) rather than its flowers (which are depicted in the labeling by many producers). Yellow gentian is most commonly used, a larger variety of the genus. Less commonly, the roots from other plants from the ''Gentiana'' genus are used, such as thepurple gentian
''Gentiana purpurea'', the purple gentian, is a plant species in the genus ''Gentiana
''Gentiana'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the gentian family (Gentianaceae), the tribe Gentianeae, and the monophyletic subtribe Gentian ...
, brown gentian, or spotted gentian.
The harvesting of gentian from the wild is strictly controlled; as a result, fields are planted with the specific purpose of being harvested. In both the EU and Switzerland, the alcoholic strength of Gentian must be at least 37.5 percent alcohol by volume.
Gentian spirit is produced by fermenting the roots of the plant, with or without the addition of ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, which is then distilled. No additional flavourings are permitted.
The oldest gentian distillery in Germany is the in Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden () is a municipality in the district Berchtesgadener Land, Bavaria, in southeastern Germany, near the border with Austria, south of Salzburg and southeast of Munich. It lies in the Berchtesgaden Alps, south of Berchtesgaden; the ...
.
See also
*Angostura bitters
Angostura bitters () is a concentrated bitters (herbal alcoholic preparation) based on gentian, herbs, and spices, by House of Angostura in Trinidad and Tobago. It is typically used for flavouring beverages or, less often, food. The bitters we ...
– which contain gentian
* Suze – a French brand of bitters apéritif flavored with gentian
References
{{portalbar, Liquor Distilled drinks Pages translated from German Wikipedia