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Modus-Vivendi -Small fruits with a big history

There are plenty of stories surrounding the history of damassine plum - small, violet fruits in the plum family. The botanical name of 'prunus damascena' is indicative of the probable origins of the fruit: Damascus in Syria. The Roman gourmet and most famous author of cook books in Antiquity, Marcus Gavius Apicius, praised the fruit in one recipe as a delicious accompaniment to lamb. It then found its way to Europe through the Duke of Anjou who discovered the fruits in around 1220 during a crusade to Jerusalem. During the Middle Ages, the trees grew predominantly in the gardens of the royal houses and parishes.

At the end of the 16th century, planting began on the South banks of Lake Biel in Switzerland and the Jura mountains seemed particularly suited to plum varieties. Harvesting damassine plums is very time-consuming and therefore they rarely come to market for fresh consumption. And their use in fine brandy has so far also only been of local significance. As they say in the Jura region: "A good meal without a glass of damassine brandy is like a day without sunshine".

The young Modus-Vivendi company in Biel has brought a new name and exclusive equipment to this 'historic distillate' in order to increase the product recognisability. The raw materials are provided by Roger Grimm and Adrian Eberhard, who planted hundreds of damassine shrubs in an ideal south-facing location in Luescherz, on the South banks of Lake Biel, from 2003 to 2008. The owner of Grillette Domaine De Cressier, J. P. Mürset, also represents a partner who has been heavily involved with the cultivation of damassine plums in Le Landeron since the 1990s.

This speciality product from the Swiss lakes region was awarded a bronze medal at its première at the World-Spirits Award.

Rossbacher: The herb liqueur from Vienna

A. Wunderlich founded a liqueur factory in Vienna in 1897 at just 19 years of age, and composed the herb speciality, Rossbacher, which went on to have an unrivalled success story. Specially selected herbs, roots and berries are carefully processed using the handed-down recipe – the exact composition is a well-guarded secret.

A long process involving three separate procedures is employed to extract the precious content from the raw materials: essences and flavours are extracted through maceration while the herbs, roots and berries are soaked in an alcohol and water mixture. During the percolation process, this mixture is dripped through the herbs. Copper vats are then heated using steam during the distillation process so that the alcohol and herb flavours evaporate and then become fluid again during the cooling process.

The unique taste of Rossbacher reflects a traditional Austrian product which meets the latest trends in drinks: with its intense herb flavours and subtle sweetness, Rossbacher can either be served neat or with ice, lemon, tonic or soda water.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Rossbacher.