Spitz Ang’setzta Zirbe

Spitz Ang'setzta Zirbe is a herbal liqueur from the Austrian producer S. Spitz, bottled at 28% and built around the cones of the Swiss stone pine, the Zirbe, which grows high in the Alps near the Styrian Zirbitzkogel. The pine cones give the liqueur its tart, resinous, woody signature, a regional Alpine style set against a gentle spiciness and a deep aroma.

The nose is spicy stone pine with a fine woody note and a hint of fresh herbs, the palate full bodied and herbal with a tart freshness rounded by a woody root note, the finish long and warm with a lingering pine note. Its character is bittersweet and resinous, in the traditional Alpine herbal style, which makes it a digestif first and foremost. Serve it neat or over ice after a meal, pair it with strong cheeses or fruity desserts such as apple strudel, and in mixology use it where a woody, pine led aromatic backbone is wanted to give a stirred or long serve an unusual herbal lift.