{{Short description|Brandy made from morello cherries}} {{Other uses}} {{Italics title}} [[Image:Fuersteneck Kirschwasser.jpg|thumb|''Kirschwasser'', produced in Black Forest, Germany and bottled at 40% ABV]] '''''Kirschwasser''''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ɪər|ʃ|v|ɑː|s|ər}}, {{small|UK also}} {{IPAc-en|-|v|æ|s|ər}}, {{IPA|de|ˈkɪɐʃvasɐ|lang|De-Kirschwasser.ogg}}; German for 'cherry water'), or just '''''Kirsch''''' ({{IPA|de|kɪʁʃ|lang|De-Kirsch.ogg}}; the term used in Switzerland and France, less so in Germany), is a clear, colourless brandy from Germany, Switzerland, and France, traditionally made from double distillation of morello cherries. It is now also made from other kinds of cherries. The cherry stones are included in the fermentation process, not removed beforehand.<ref name="alex">Lichine, Alexis. ''Alexis Lichine's New Encyclopedia of Wines & Spirits'' (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1987), p. 292.</ref> Unlike cherry liqueurs and cherry brandies, ''Kirschwasser'' is not sweet. It is sometimes distilled from fermented cherry juice.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kirsch - distilled liquor |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/kirsch |access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref>
==Serving== ''Kirschwasser'' is usually drunk neat. It is traditionally served cold in a very small glass and is taken as an apéritif. It is an important ingredient in fondue. People in the German-speaking region where it originated usually serve it after dinner, as a digestif.
''Kirschwasser'' is used in some cocktails, such as the Ladyfinger, the Florida, and the Rose.
High-quality ''kirschwasser'' should be served around {{cvt|16|C}}, warmed by the hands as with brandy.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rB9HDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT290 |title=Cocktails: Über 1000 Drinks mit und ohne Alkohol - Erweiterte Neuausgabe des Standard werk |isbn =9783641232320 |last1 = Brandl |first1 = Franz |date = 23 April 2018}}</ref>
==Origin and production== [[File:Illustration Prunus cerasus0.jpg|thumb|Illustration of the sour cherry]] Because morellos were originally grown in the Black Forest regions of Germany, ''kirschwasser'' is believed to have originated there. ''Kirschwasser'' is colourless because it is either not aged in wood or was aged in barrels made of ash. It may have been aged in paraffin-lined wood barrels or earthenware vessels.<ref name="alex"/> Rivals in producing high quality "''Kirsch''" is Switzerland and Alsace; the latter even has a ''kirschwasser'' route,<ref>[https://www.elsass-netz.de/168/Touristen-Routen-Elsass/Route-du-pays-du-kirsch.html elsass-netz.de] "''Route-du-pays-du-kirsch''"</ref> and other quality cherry-production, German-speaking areas like South Tyrolia. In France and English-speaking countries, clear fruit brandies are known as ''eaux de vie''. The European Union sets a minimum of 37.5% ABV (75 proof) for products of this kind; ''kirschwasser'' typically has an alcohol content of 40%–50% ABV (80–100 proof). About 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of cherries go into the making of a 750 ml bottle of ''kirschwasser''.
One French variety, ''Kirsch de Fougerolles''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fiche produit |url=https://www.inao.gouv.fr/produit/13093 |access-date=2024-01-09 |website=www.inao.gouv.fr |archive-date=2024-01-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240109164907/https://www.inao.gouv.fr/produit/13093 |url-status=dead }}</ref>'','' and two Swiss varieties, Zuger Kirsch and Rigi Kirsch, have been certified as ''appellation d'origine protégée'' (AOP).<ref>{{Kulinarischeserbe.ch|195|Kirsch}}</ref>
==Chemical composition== Compared with brandy or whisky, the characteristic features of ''kirsch'' are that it contains relatively large quantities of higher alcohols and compound ethers, and the presence in this spirit of small quantities of hydrogen cyanide, partly as such and partly in combination as benzaldehyde-cyanohydrin, to which the distinctive flavour of kirsch is largely due.<ref>{{EB1911 |wstitle=Kirsch |volume=15 |page=834 |inline=1}}</ref>
==Food== [[Image:Urschwyzer Kirsch.jpg|thumb|Urschwyzer kirsch, produced in Switzerland and bottled at 40% ABV]] ''Kirsch'' is used in some cakes, notably traditional German {{lang|de|Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte}} (Black Forest gateau), {{lang|de|Gugelhupf}} and {{lang|de|Zuger Kirschtorte}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://gandraxi.com/zuger_kirschtorte.xml |title=Use of kirsch in a traditional Swiss cake |access-date=2011-02-01 |archive-date=2011-07-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711072037/http://gandraxi.com/zuger_kirschtorte.xml |url-status=dead }}</ref>
It is also sometimes used in Swiss fondue and the dessert, cherries jubilee.
Kirsch can also be used as a filling of chocolates. A typical kirsch chocolate consists of no more than one milliliter of kirsch, surrounded by milk or (more usually) dark chocolate with a film of hard sugar between the two parts, which acts as an impermeable casing for the liquid content and compensates for the lack of sweetness typical of ''kirsch''. Manufacturers include Swiss chocolatiers Lindt & Sprüngli and Camille Bloch.{{cn|date=August 2025}} {{Clear left}}
==See also== {{Portal|Baden-Württemberg|Switzerland|France|Liquor}} * Culinary Heritage of Switzerland * Fruit brandy * ''Himbeergeist'' * ''Schnapps''
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Kirschwasser}}
{{Alcoholic beverages}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Cherry liqueurs and spirits Category:Fruit brandies Category:German distilled drinks Category:Culinary Heritage of Switzerland Category:Black Forest