Welcome to Ziegler Distillery. We cultivate the high art of distilling.
Welcome
We began as a brewery with distilling rights. And our distillates have been writing history since 1865. Then as now, at our founding location in Freudenberg am Main, we dedicate ourselves to creating outstanding products that delight top international restaurateurs and gourmets.
Our Aspiration
We are passionate about distilling. Our devotion to quality is legendary – as are our fruit brandies, spirits, liqueurs, and our whisky. From harvesting the fruit to labelling the bottles, experienced people and traditional craftsmanship play a central role. Of course, this doesn’t mean that we refuse to embrace progress: we are only as good as we are today because we continually seek ways to do things even better.
No. 1 Wild Cherry
For our number one, we arranged a win-win-situation between Ziegler and our cone pickers. Yes, you read that right: Our wild cherries are collected by cone pickers in southern Germany. They need the cherry pits to secure their livelihood - and we need the sweet cherries, which we distil and age for five years to create the world’s best wild cherry brandy.
Williams
The good old Williams pear sails daringly close to the wind. And not only while it’s on its short journey to us, but also during its distillation. In accord with the motto “living on the edge”, Williams pear brandy doesn’t develop its inimitable aroma until the very end of the distillation process. We have spent decades perfecting this process, which guarantees that everything comes to a happy end.
OLD PLUM
“Alte Zwetschge” means “Old Plum”, but the plums that became this golden elixir were not old. We call it “Old Plum” because the fruit brandy is patiently aged for up to five years in wooden barrels made of chestnut or oak. The resulting flavour is reminiscent of oranges, chestnuts and cinnamon.
FOREST RASPBERRY
Waldhimbeere means “Forest Raspberry”, but we affectionately call it “Himbi”. When we say “forest”, we mean “grown in the wild” rather than plucked in the woods. This is not the raspberry equivalent of the wild strawberries that we distil into our spirits. These raspberries grow blissfully in the wild around Lake Balaton in Hungary, where they are picked by hand.
HAZELNUT
If you close your eyes and imagine roasted hazelnuts, you will know exactly how your palate experiences our spirit. It is more a dessert than a digistif, so it is delightful to sip after a meal. We have transformed chocolate, vanilla and nutty delights into liquid form. Our basic ingredient comes from the Mecca of the hazelnut – the Piedmont in Italy.
Freudenberger
The wilder the meadows, the better the fruit brandy. Our Freudenberger Wildwiesen Cuvée was born from a project that’s very close to our hearts. Together with cone pickers and fruit farmers, we revitalise fallow meadows and, in the process, nurture and cultivate nearly forgotten heirloom varieties of fruit such as Elstar, Gute Luise or Mollebusch. The resulting fruit brandy is exceptional. Not only does this taste delicious, but five euros from the purchase price of each bottle are donated directly to Ziegler’s Wild Meadow Fund.