We're checking in "between the years" with a handy tip. It's that time that transitions more or less directly from the festive vanilla kipferl, roast goose or duck, and fruit jelly rings into the New Year's Eve pork-head and sparkling wine extravaganzas. OK, maybe we're exaggerating a little. But your stomach has earned itself a small culinary ceasefire — we're sure of that. There's no better time of year for walnut and anise. That is, for walnut schnapps or anise spirit, to be precise.
But first, a brief aside. While researching the topic of "digestif schnappscame across a quote that took us a moment to digest. It was about food intolerances, and in an interview an expert was asked whether he would recommend a digestive schnapps after a heavy meal. The good doctor's response, in essence, was that if you believe in it, you could certainly have a small glass. Far more sensible, however, would be two or three globules of X at a Y potency — and all indications suggest he meant that in complete seriousness.
Not with us (or our Walnut or Anise)
We don't believe that. Don't want to believe it. Though he's not entirely wrong. Studies show that alcohol (in any form) slows the body (and therefore digestion) down a little. That said, our two spirits — the walnut schnapps and the anise spirit — have qualities that make them perfectly suited for a good feast. The walnut schnapps soothes body, mind and soul in a wonderfully down-to-earth way, while the anise spirit, with its caraway-like, aromatic character, cuts right through that heavy, fatty feeling — already on the palate. That makes it the ideal companion for lardo, Speck & Co.
We've grown fond of them. The grappa with or after the cheese, the Alte Zwetschke with an espresso, or the whisky at the bar. And of course the walnut schnapps after a hearty meal. None of that needs to go. At most, the scientific justification falls away — which, come to think of it, has its upside too. Now that we no longer need to kid ourselves, we can focus on what truly matters when it comes to enjoying the finer spirits responsibly. Pleasure in moderation, not in excess. With that in mind: hoping you had a wonderful Christmas, we wish you a very Happy New Year.
