Welcome to the New Year! The past few weeks have been filled with festive vanilla crescents, roast goose and duck, fruit jelly rings, and of course the obligatory sparkling wine extravaganza on New Year's Eve. OK, maybe we're exaggerating a little. But perhaps now is the time to treat ourselves to a small culinary ceasefire. There's no better time of year for nut and anise. That is, for nut schnapps or anise spirit, to be precise.
But first, a brief aside. While researching the topic of "digestif schnappswe stumbled 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 go ahead and have a small glass. Far more sensible, however, would be two or three globules X with a Y potency — and all indications suggest he meant that in complete seriousness.
Not with our Nuss or Anis
We don't believe that. We don't want to believe it. Though he does have a small point. Studies show that alcohol (in any form) slows the body (and with it digestion) down a little. That said, our two spirits — the walnut schnapps and the anise spirit — both have qualities that are perfectly suited to festive gatherings. The walnut schnapps calms body, mind and soul in a wonderfully down-to-earth way, while the anise spirit, with its caraway-like, aromatic character, banishes that heavy, fatty feeling right 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 has to go. At most, the scientific justification falls away — which, in its own way, is actually a good thing. Now that we no longer need to kid ourselves, we can focus on what truly matters when it comes to enjoying spirits responsibly. Pleasure in moderation, not in excess. With that in mind: hoping you had a wonderful Christmas, we now wish you a healthy and happy New Year.
