Etter - La Fine Eau de Vie

Distillery Etter - a long history

As early as 1823, farmer Johann Bapist Etter operated distillation from his own cherries in Menzingen as a side business. This laid the foundation for a success story. In 1879, Paul Etter founded the commercial distillery Etter. For 110 years, the focus was exclusively on cherry distillation. It wasn't until 1981, after a new building with modern equipment, that the assortment was expanded to include other fruit varieties. But that’s not all; in 2010, the first Johnett Swiss Single Malt Whiskey was launched on the market, and two years later, the 4th generation took over the distillery.

Highest quality in all areas

Delivering exclusively the highest quality is a matter of course for the Etter company. To achieve this, a variety of high-quality individual steps are required during production. The sweet distillation cherries come exclusively from the best locations in the Zugersee region in the heart of Switzerland. At Etter, five completely different cherry brandies and many other fruit brand specialties such as Williams pear or Vieille Prune are distilled. 

Working with natural raw materials like cherries and Williams pears is very labor-intensive. Variety, soil, climate, ripeness, and weather are decisive for the quality of the fruit brandies. Only fully ripe and aromatic fruits make their way into the distillery after an intensive harvest. In quantitatively good harvest years with outstanding quality, production is carried out in advance. All fruit varieties are then processed in the Etter house and brought to fermentation. The natural fermentation causes the important transformation of fruit sugar into alcohol.

Distillation and maturation at Etter Söhne

The art of the distiller consists of separating the pre-run and post-run from the heart cut during distillation. This requires a lot of experience, a fine nose, and a well-trained sense of taste. Purity, bouquet, and intensity of the still young distillate are evaluated by the Etter family in collaboration with the master distiller. This gives each fruit brand the personal touch of the house. By adding fresh Zugerberger spring water, the right alcohol content for excellent drinking enjoyment is ultimately achieved. Thereafter, skilled maturation ensures an excellent taste harmony from the nose through the palate to the finish. Depending on the variety, the fruit brandies mature for several months or, in the case of stone fruits, several years.