Steirisches Kriacherl

Traditionally produced plum brandy made of blue Kriecherl (Prunus insititia) from the Federal Province of Styria.
 
 
Record Number: 43
 
Disclosure Date
First mention of the utilization of Styrian Kriecherl (Prunus insititia) for the production of spirit drinks in the Middle Ages.
 
 

Photo: Kulinari...

Title
Steirisches Kriacherl
(Styrian Kriacherl) 
 
 
 
 
 
Abstract or claim
Traditionally produced plum brandy made of blue Kriecherl (Prunus insititia) from the Federal Province of Styria.
 
Name of product, Product class
Spirit drinks
 
Name of region
Styria, Austria
 
Field of search
Agriculture and Spirit drinks 
  
Name of information provider
--- 
 
Name of applicant for title
--- 
 
Holder of knowledge or associated resources 
--- 
 
Grantee(s), holder(s),
assignee(s) or owner(s) of title, if any
--- 
 
Descriptors
 
- History:
First mention of the utilization of Styrian Kriecherl for the production of spirit drinks in the Middle Ages. Probably the fruits were utilised much earlier already.
 
- Region:
Styria. Styrian Kriecherl is widespread across the entire Federal Province of Styria.
 
- Kriecherl:
Styrian Kriecherl is a native variety of plums (Rosaceae) and nowadays occurs mainly in Styria and East Austria.
The term Kriacherl or Kriecherl is used for the native form (Prunus insititia) as well as for the cultivated forms (Prunus domesticus insititia).
Sometimes Kriecherl are called yellow plums. However, the original Styrian Kriecherl is a blue native form.
 
The term Kriecherl probably originates from the German verb “kriechen” (= to creep) and implies that the tree grows (“creeps”) by producing many tillers. Another interpretation is that the word originates from the Alemannic dialect and relates to the origin of the fruit (“Krieche” = Greek plum).
 
The trees tolerate a wide range of soils and climatic conditions, grow without intensive cultivation methods and periodically deliver high yields.
 
The stone fruits are small to medium-sized, round, intensively blue-coloured plums. The soft flesh is greenish and is hardly to separate from the spheroidal, rather smooth stone.
The flavour is related to the flavour of plums, but more discrete and finer in aroma and shows an interesting interaction between sweetness and tart acidity.
 
- Utilization:
Styrian Kriecherl is used as fresh fruit or for the distillation of fruit spirit.
 
Styrian Kriecherl are mashed as a whole as the flesh is hardly to separate from the stone. After fermentation most of the stones are removed from the liquid mash. This method leads to a distinct stone flavour which characterizes the fruit spirit. Moreover, its taste is sweet and mild.
 
For tax purposes, the categorization of Prunus insititia is laid down in the 39^th   Ordinance of the Federal Ministry of Finance concerning amount, distillation time and distillation-time limits for the production of alcohol under Abfindung (lit. compensation), paragraph 2, amended by Austrian Federal Law Gazette II No. 319/2006.
A so-called “Abfindungsbrennerei” (a distillery for which production is estimated at a standard level for tax purposes on the basis of the amount of raw material used) is allowed for small distilleries of farmers who sell the spirit drink to consumers or to gastronomy.
 
As the Ordinance was not clear enough, the Federal Ministry of Finance informed the customs offices in 2006 that for tax purposes the Styrian Kriecherl does not belong to the category “Zwetschken, Pflaumen, Mirabellen” (plums and mirabelles), which yield 5.5 litres of alcohol/ 100 litres of mash, but to the category “Sonstiges Steinobst” (Other stone fruits), which yield 3 litres of alcohol/100 litres of mash.
 
Styrian Kriacherl is a spirit drink which is made exclusively from blue Styrian Kriecherl. The minimum alcoholic strength by volume shall be 42%.
 
- Protection:
“Styrian Kriacherl” is protected for the geographical area of Styria in Codex Alimentarius Austriacus, Chapter B 23: Spirits. Annex 1: Protected Designations
 
Key Words 
Agriculture and Spirit drinks, Traditional Knowledge, Austria, Styria, region, Kriecherl, Kriacherl, Styrian Kriacherl, plum, Prunus insititia, Prunus domestica insititia
 
Bibliography / References
- Codex Alimentarius Austriacus, Chapter B 23: Spirits. Annex 1: Protected Designations.
- 39th Ordinance of the Federal Ministry of Finance concerning amount, distillation time and
  distillation-time limits for the production of alcohol under Abfindung (lit. compensation), para. 2, 
  amended by Federal Law Gazette II No. 319/2006.
- BMF (Federal Ministry of Finance). Information to all custom offices; categorization of
  “Kriecherl”. 26 July 2006.
- Komplette Digestif Selektion für Obstbrandkenner - Das Kriecherl
  http://www.dettling-marmot.ch/deutsch/spirituosen/obstbrand/haemmerle.pdf 
- Kriecherlbrand 
  http://members.aon.at/edelbraende/Kriecherlbrand.html 
- Kriecherl
  https://ssl15.inode.at/goelles.at/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=495 
- Without title 
  http://www.kirke.hu-berlin.de/petron/anmerkungen/E6.html 
- Kriecherl 
  http://www.nagl-am-sulzbach.de/lexikon.html 
- Kriecherl Blau 
  http://www.brenninger.de/angebot/pflaumen_angebot.html 
- Kriecherl
  http://images.umweltberatung.at/htm/laubhecken_infobl_garten.pdf
 
Language Code
German
 
Product of www.genuss-region.at 
No
 
Regional contact 
Chamber of Agriculture, Styria
Hammerlinggasse 3
8010 Graz
Ing. Andreas Fischerauer
Obstverarbeitung, Most- und Branntweinherstellung
(Fruit processing, must and brandy production)
e-mail: andreas.fischerauer@lk-stmk.at 
Phone: 0316/8050-1418
 
Authors: Eva Sommer, Dr. Erhard Höbaus 
 

10.11.2011, Lebensministerium III/4