The iconic packaging has made Rochelt brandies at least as famous as the delicious contents of the bottle. © provided

It's part of the myth of many Californian wineries: the garage. While an image of the boisterous times of new beginnings immediately springs to mind when one speaks of a "garage winery", the history of the Austrian "garage distillers" has yet to be written. Manfred Wöhrer in Traun, for example, still proudly uses this term today, while the Sulmtal-based Distillery Krauss began in the same vein two decades later. And the most internationally renowned distillates from Tyrol also have their origins alongside cars and tools. Günter Rochelt was a chef when he made his first attempts at distilling in his garage in Fritzens near Wattens in the 1970s. By 1989 at the latest, however, he had defined an ambitious goal - to raise the Austrian cultural asset with the less prestigious name of "schnapps" to a new level of quality.

No compromises when it comes to fruit

Rochelt schnapps is characterized, among other things, by the gentle double distillation of the fruit mash. © provided

The founding of his commercial distillery coincided with the golden age of local quality distilleries. Looking back, it seems as simple as ever that Rochelt and his comrades-in-arms - such as Maximilian Schosser, Valentin Latschen (Pfau), Alois Gölles and Hans Reisetbauer - turned their backs on previous distilling practices. At that time, only fruit that couldn't be sold ended up in the so called distillery harbor. Günter Rochelt, on the other hand, had a different vision: "Exquisite fruit is the stuff our dreams are made of - it holds the secret to enjoyment." What sounds like a lofty maxim has, however, determined the uncompromising production at Fritzens ever since. His wife Daniela underlines this high standard of craftsmanship in an unmistakable way. In the beginning, every single one of the handwritten Rochelt labels came from her. This also included the indication of vintages on the distillates, as we know them from the world of wine - because nature doesn't provide regularity.

If there's only a small harvest or the quality is not right, then the quantity of Rochelt distillates is also minimal - even to the point of no production at all. Conversely, a separate line has been developed for the best vintage brandies.Naturstark collection features a glittering decorative stopper with over 400 crystals from Swarovski in nearby Wattens. Visually, the "gemstones" of the distillation are thus recognizable from afar. They are extremely rare and only come onto the market after a storage period of at least ten years. The fact that they are deliberately left at a high percentage (62 % vol. for "Gravensteiner Naturstark 2004", for example) is a tribute to Günter Rochelt.

An "accident" as a trademark

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The pioneer, who died in 2009, was convinced that the higher alcohol content, combined with long harmonization of the brandies in glass balloons, best conveys the aromas of the fruit. The ideal of a double-distilled and long matured Rochelt brandy is "powerful and complex at the same time, yet delicately fruity and smooth". The second generation, the sisters Julia, Teresa and Annia and their husband Alexander Rainer, also follow this line. He has worked alongside his father-in-law since 2003 and ensures continuity with the new classic fruit brandies (including Wachau apricot, quince, sour cherry and mirabelle plum), the wild fruit rarities, but also the schnapps cuvées such as the "Inntaler". This consists of a separately distilled composition of raspberry, quince and Williams pear "married" in a secret mixing ratio. The "Kasteler" (rowanberries, Williams pears, plums) also pays homage to Tyrol. It's named after the particularly good brandy that was traditionally kept in a box for admirers.

Just like the distilling process, the labels - once even written by himself! - manually. © provided

The clear localization in the Inn Valley also carries the "packaging" out into the world, which makes Rochelt unmistakable. The Tyrolean pincer bottle was the basis, but like the fruit, it was also further refined at Rochelt. This type of bottle was created in the 18th century as a result of an accident in the Hall glassworks when an apprentice touched the container, which hadn't yet hardened, with a pair of tongs - the result was an indentation on both sides, the "navel". Rochelt developed this design further with Innsbruck glass artist Alfred Ecker to create the emerald green icon, with goldsmith Otto Jakob creating the closure. This elegant packaging was intended to draw attention to the exceptional quality, which is appreciated as far afield as Taiwan and the USA. And it has become a trademark, which is also available as a miniature bottle (filling quantity: 4 cl) in the same shape.

High-grade and high-priced

Pure fruit is Alexander Rainer's goal, whether rowanberry, Williams pear or apricot. © provided

Rochelt enjoys the freedom to choose the best fruit for the distillates. As an Austrian, the Wachau apricot immediately springs to mind, but for spirits connoisseurs, the use of the "Basler Langstieler" for the cherry brandy is also a sign of quality. This is because Switzerland, the stronghold of the "Kirschli", has the perfect fruit for distilling in its orchards. The list goes on and on, for example with wild plums from Piedmont, which are collected fresh every day during the harvest and sorted again by hand.

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But Teresa Rochelt basically says it all when she says: "We want to continue on our father's path without compromise and consistently." However, this also involves the natural loss of alcohol instead of dilution with water. These maturation periods (between 10 and 19 years!) in open glass balloons are also accompanied by a massive loss of volume, which is otherwise known as "Angels' Share" from the world of whisky. This commercially painful but qualitatively necessary production method also explains the liter price of 400 to 1000 euros. "Schnapps isn't just something high-proof, it can, indeed must, also be high-priced," Günter Rochelt used to say. After all, depending on the fruit, 55 (elderberry) or even 100 kilograms (sloe) of fruit are contained in a single liter of schnapps.

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During the tour, visitors to the so-called treasure chamber (the maturation warehouse in the attic of the distillery) in Fritzens can get an idea of the enormous effort that goes into producing a single bottle of brandy. 80,000 liters are matured on site and the bottled "liquid fruit" can be tasted by appointment in the Tiroler Zirbenstube. There, Alexander Rainer also teaches you how to taste a high-proof treasure: "We recommend only filling our glass halfway (1 cl, note) and sipping the distillate rather than 'tipping' it - because the perfectly preserved taste of the fruit can be found in every drop anyway!"

Distillery Rochelt
Innstrasse 2, 6122 Fritzens, Austria
Tel: +43 5224 52462
Web: rochelt.com