No 145 Sicilian Mandarin - Spirit

There is a simple reason why we do not use the so-called albedo - the white layer of citrus fruit lying directly under the outer oil cells - as it has no value for our spirits, as it does not contain any volatile aromatic substances, but consists mainly of pectin, a component of gelling agents. When ripe, the albedo of the mandarin degenerates into a net of fibers, to which the Latin species name "reticulata", i.e. "net-like", refers. Because of this reduction in albedo when ripe, mandarins are among the so-called "easy peelers", which are particularly easy to peel.

For us, however, this meant a lot of work, as we took the trouble to scrape the albedo off the inside of each individual peel with a knife. In any case, it paid off, as we succeeded in creating a unique, particularly pure tangerine spirit. The aroma of the mandarin spirit is determined by the cyclic monoterpenes limonene and terpinene as well as N-methylanthranilic acid methyl ester, which only occurs in very small quantities but is responsible for the characteristic smell.

A spirit that can be poured neat into a glass at any time and immediately makes you dream of summery, southern climes.