Kaspers
Why KASPERS?
A great fire in 1853 destroyed much
of the village of Saschiz as the houses were at that time of timber
construction. However, the cellars which were traditionally made of brick or
stone would have survived the fire and will be considerably older. The Kasper
family would have started immediately rebuilding their houses on top of these
cellars.
Our restoration of the front façade
was undertaken in October 2015. After carefully removing the rough cast plaster
applied in the seventies, we discovered the original colour and an inscription
in German, drawings and hidden features dated 1888 when the reconstruction
would have been completed. The words come from a poem written by Simon Dach
(1605-1659):
„Geduld, Vernunft und Zeit macht möglich die Unmöglichkeit“
“Patience, wisdom and time makes possible the impossible”
We started our application to produce
elderflower gin in November 2016 and at first progress in obtaining the licence
for a micro-distillery was good. We were required to prepare the building and
buy the necessary equipment. In September 2017 we had a temporary licence for
one month to commission the equipment and produce samples for analysis. We were
hopeful of getting into full production by October / November that year.
However, the Romanian Customs agency then decided that they did not know enough
about gin, as nobody else was producing it in Romania and our application was
rejected. Many appeals later, we finally got our licence in March 2019 to
produce a spirit drink from elderflower but labelling it as gin is a battle for
another day!
Clearly the Kasper family motto is still applicable today and with the permission of the current generation, our new spirit drink was launched in early May under the “Kaspers” brand.
Inspired by the façade, the Kaspers label was designed by Sheona Turnbull, graphic designer and illustrator, recently graduated from Kingston School of Art, London.
"I like the fonts - clean, crisp, in Art Deco manner. Also the label rectangle seems to be of Golden Rule proportions, while the gentle green sloping band seems to suggest the hills of Saschiz. I am impressed!" (Valentin Mandache)
Why Elderflower?
We established our social enterprise
in 2010 with objectives of buying our raw materials (flowers, fruit and
vegetables) from the community and we employ local people to produce our jams,
chutney and cordials. Our
production is based on traditional skills and the innovative use of local
ingredients. A concentrated elderflower syrup
provides by far our largest social impact involving approximately 1,500 people
wild harvesting the flowers. Collecting more for distilling was a logical
extension of our existing activities.
Gin is typically made from a
grain-based spirit to which botanicals are added. Our innovative approach
starts with the hand-picked elderflower which is fermented and double
distilled. Ten botanicals are then added, seven of which are commonly used in
gin and three are from the local biodiversity rich wildflower meadows. We then
distil a third time to produce our unique drink that retains the refreshing
floral notes of elderflower but now combined with the distinctive taste of gin
from the juniper berries.
Home distilling fruit - based spirit
drinks is still very much part of rural life in Transylvania. Our small batch
distilling enterprise uses traditional equipment and skills passed down through
generations, but we have added some modern science to make our unique spirit
drinks from Transylvania.
We are the first micro-distillery in Romania to be licenced to make a spirit drink from elderflower and we believe the first in the world to obtain our alcohol from elderflower, whereas other elderflower gins on the market infuse grain-based spirit with the elderflower.
Cocktails
SuPEARb - original
45ml Pear Brandy (Rachiu de Pere) PivnitaBunicii
15ml Mandarine Liquer Solado Averna
15ml Amar Majuni
15ml MOF Chartreuse
2ds Lemon Bitters The Bitter Truth
Stir with lots of ice, strain over a large ice cube in your favorite coupe, garnish with a lemon peel, after expressing essential oils. A pear flower also does wonders, if their readily available where you might be living
Pear & Apple Pie - original
45ml Aged Rum Venezuela Riserva
Diplomático
15ml Licor 43
15ml Pear Liquer Xante
15ml Le Birlou Apple & Chestnut Liquor
Vedrenne
45ml Lime Juice
15ml Rhubarb Liquer Pivnita Bunicii
2ds Angostura Bitters House of Angostura
Top with sparkling non-alcoholic bitter
Sanbittèr
maraschino cherry
This cocktail is just a manifestation of the importance of
rhubarb for Romanians, even if each of them seems to use a different word to
talk about this plant.
Rhubarb Etiquette - original
0.75oz Rhum Agricole Blanc Depaz
0.75oz Becherovka
1.5oz Rhubarb Liqueur Pivnita Bunicii
0.33oz Galliano Vanilla
0.33oz Supasawa
Splash of tonic water to top
Stir with ice, strain without ice in a carefully arranged
rhubarb peels and ice highball glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint
Rhubarb is very important in the Romanian culture, especially in Transilvania.
It is enjoyed not only in plenty of deserts, but also in compotes and surprising savory dishes.
Taking all that into
consideration, the Rhubarb Liqueur from Pivnita Bunicii is a wonderful homage
to the yearly Rhubarb festivities that take place in Saschiz.
