No living producer is more synonymous with eau-de-vie than Hans Reisetbauer. In 1990 he planted his first orchard on the family farm in Axberg, Upper Austria, with a single stated goal: make the best fruit brandy in the world. German still-maker Christian Carl built his first still to Hans's own design in 1994; his first commercial release, 100 bottles of Williams Pear in 1995, sold out to Vienna's top restaurants almost immediately; and by 1996 he'd won Schnapps of the Year at the Destillata trade fair. He's been chasing purity ever since. The farm now spans 140 hectares of certified organic fruit trees, barley, and wheat, and in 2019 the entire distillery was torn down and rebuilt as an energy self-sufficient facility with Carl stills so precise they control temperature to a twentieth of a degree across 48 points. Every mash is double distilled with the heads and tails discarded — only the heart is kept. Hans has distilled almost everything: pear, quince, apricot, plum, raspberry, elderflower, ginger. Tomatoes failed. Carrots didn't — the Carrot eau-de-vie, requiring 77 pounds of biodynamic carrots per liter and rested three years, became the most famous bottle in the range. The house also makes the celebrated Blue Gin from estate wheat, vodka, single malt whisky, and a sloe gin with almost no added sugar. Clarity, fineness, and detail without equal.

Browse our full Hans Reisetbauer collection with fast nationwide shipping delivered straight to your door.