Since 1991, Arnold Dettling AG has been connected to Underberg AG, a family-owned company producing and distributing famous brands in the beverage industry. The core of Dettling’s business is Kirsch, a well known Swiss liqueur, and the winner of many awards both in Switzerland and abroad.

Kirsch is a cherry brandy, in other words, a distillate made from cherries. Usually fruit distillers produce distillates from all kinds of fruits, including apples, pears, apricots and cherries; Dettling, however, only distils cherries, which distinguishes it from the other companies.The advantage is that the distillation pots are not absorbing flavors from other fruits, resulting in pure cherry brandy produced by Dettling. Because of this cherry exclusivity, Dettling͢€™s slogan is “Exclusively Kirsch.”

Only exquisite and ripe cherries are used for fermentation, with eight kilograms of fruit being required for a single litre of Kirsch. The cherry brandies ripen in 50 litre demijohns or in different types of wooden vats. Seasonal variations in temperature give the distillation an exclusive taste.

By focusing on cherries, Dettling acquired a unique knowledge of Kirsch in all its variations. A personal relationship with cherry farmers and selection of the fruit, combined with intuition and the knowledge of distillation, are as important to the manufacturing process as is carefully monitoring fermentation. Whenever you pour Dettling Kirsch, this attention to detail becomes obvious.

Kirsh goes back to the beginnings of the firm in 1867 when Franz-Xaver discovered that the black cherries grown in central Switzerland produce a highly aromatic brandy when distilled gently. Today, the careful selection of ripe cherries and the skilled art of distillation make Dettling one of Europe͢€™s leading producers of Kirsch͢€”and the only one that is OU certified.