Weather, poor harvest lead to sharp drop
BERN, SWITZERLAND – Swiss production of eaux-de-vie fell sharply in 2013, thanks to “capricious weather and a poor fruit harvest” that was due only in part to the cyclical nature of fruit, the federal Alcohol Office said Monday.
Overall, 11,583 hectolitres of pure alcohol (100%) were distilled, well down from an average year of a little over 17,000, making the 2012-13 season the worst on record for distilled spirits.
Switzerland produces a number of fruit spirits, notably from pears, made into Williamine, apricots into Abricotine, and grapes into grape marc spirit as well as cherry-based kirsch. Apples and plums are also common bases for eaux-de-vie. The largest area is around the fruit orchards along the Rhone Valley, but they are produced anywhere fruit is grown, which is much of the country.
Kirsch production was the hardest hit, down by 75% while plum/prune eaux-de-vie dropped by 67%. Imports of both of these were up last year, but not enough to cover the dip in production.
Swiss consumption of spirits was flat despite the scarcity of the home-grown variety, with 1.5 litres of spirits consumed per person, down from 1.6 litres a year earlier. Imports rose only slightly, by 1 percent to 89,800 hectolitres, with a trio of spirits accounting for 60% of all imports: whisky 20%, vodka 18% and liqueurs/bitter and aperitifs 18%.
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