Himbeergeist is a fruit spirit made from raspberries. It originates from southern Germany and the French Alsace region, with an alcohol content of 40%.
How it is made
Himbeergeist is created by macerating fresh raspberries in 95.6% rectified spirits. The mixture is left to steep for several weeks to extract the raspberry essence, then distilled and diluted with purified water to 40% alcohol or higher before being bottled. In Alsace, powdered sugar is added, while in Germany, cloves are used.
History
Raspberry liqueurs have been known in Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Belarus for centuries. Production in Russia dates back to at least the time of Ivan the Terrible. In Russia, raspberry liqueur was commonly found in every nobleman's household.
Types and styles
In Switzerland, a raspberry liqueur called Framboise is produced in the Lucerne region. In France, framboise refers to various raspberry alcoholic beverages. In Rheinland-Westphalia, raspberry liqueur is produced differently by extracting raspberry juice, adding cloves and crushed plum pits, then steeping in 40% alcohol for a month before filtering and bottling.
Adapted from the Russian Wikipedia article Малиновка (напиток), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.