Distillery in Schlitz (Hesse) – whisky, Korn, premium fruit brandies, gin and liqueurs, handcrafted since 1585
Schlitzer Korn- & Edelobstbrennerei GmbH
Schlitz (Hesse)New on Amplifa
About Schlitzer Destillerie
The Schlitzer Destillerie (Schlitzer Korn- & Edelobstbrennerei GmbH) is a spirits manufactory founded in 1585 in Schlitz in the Vogelsberg district of Hesse and is regarded as Germany's oldest continuously operating distillery. Under one roof, the company operates three specialized distilleries: a grain distillery with a traditional column still (47 plates) for Korn, whisky and vodka; a fruit distillery commissioned in 1996 with traditional copper pot stills for single-variety premium fruit brandies made from mirabelles, Williams Christ pears, quinces, greengages and wild cherries; and the so-called Hexenküche (Witch's Kitchen) for maceration and geist distillation of liqueurs, geists and herbal spirits. Gins of the Burgen brand are distilled under vacuum. Raw materials such as Hessian wheat, various malts and fruit from the region's orchard meadows are sourced predominantly regionally; the water comes from basalt-filtered Vogelsberg springs. In addition to its own brand (over 60 spirits), the company, as a licensed bonded distillery, offers contract distillation, white-label production and special bottlings. Since 2006 the GmbH has operated the distillery; the owners are the towns of Schlitz (90 %) and Hünfeld (10 %).
- Site
- Schlitz
- Processes
- Grain distillery (Korn, whisky, vodka), Column distillation (traditional column still, 47 plates), Fruit distillery (premium fruit brandies, traditional copper pot stills, small batches), Hexenküche (liqueurs, geists, herbal spirits – maceration and geist distillation), Vacuum distillation (Burgen gins, at around 60 °C), Maceration and distillation of macerates (separate maceration per raw material, subsequent, Cask storage/maturation (bourbon, red wine, rum, sherry, port, white wine casks; oak, larch,, Contract distillation & white-label production (bonded distillery, unlimited customs law
- Materials
- Wheat, Raw wheat, Barley malt, Wheat malt, Rye malt, Spelt malt, Corn, Mirabelles
- Certificates
- IFS Food Higher Level, EU organic (DE-ÖKO-012), DLG award for long-standing product quality, Member of BSI, Member of the Association of German Whisky Distillers
- Industries
- Spirits industry, Specialty retail & food retail, Gastronomy & hospitality, Beverage wholesale, Corporate gifts/events
- 01
Raw material sourcing (grain, fruit, herbs)
- 02
Mashing/fermentation
- 03
Distillation (column, fruit or geist distillery)
- 04
Barrel storage/maturation
- 05
Reduction/blending
- 06
Bottling & labeling
- 07
Distribution B2B/retail/gastronomy
Raw materials & distillation methods
Wheat / raw wheat
Base for Korn, whisky and vodka from regional cultivation.
Barley, wheat, rye and spelt malt
Domestic malts for malt whiskies, mashed in-house at the distillery.
Mirabelles, Williams Christ pears, quinces, greengages, wild cherries
Single-variety premium fruit brandies from regional orchard meadow fruit, in small batches.
Caraway, juniper, Vogelsberg herbs, hazelnut, peanut, pistachio
Raw materials for caraway specialties, gins, geists and liqueurs.
Basalt-filtered volcanic water (Vogelsberg)
Mineral-rich spring water for whisky and reduction.
Bourbon, red wine, rum, sherry, port and white wine casks (oak, larch)
Cask maturation shapes the flavor profiles of the whisky lines.
Locations
Schlitz
DEHeadquarters, manufactory with three distilleries, cask warehouse, manufactory store
- Lot size
- Fruit contract distillation from 400 kg raw material; typical batch approx. 750
- Materials
- Wheat, barley/wheat/rye/spelt malt, corn, fruit (mirabelles, pears, quinces etc.), herbs, caraway
- Column still (47 plates)
- Fruit distillery with traditional copper pot stills (since 1996)
- Hexenküche (maceration & geist distillation)
- Grain distillery
- Vacuum distillation
- Cask warehouse (new whisky warehouse 2025, approx. 700 casks)
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grain distillery (Korn, whisky, vodka)Other | – | – | – | – | Wheat, Barley malt, Wheat malt, Rye malt, Spelt malt, Corn, Raw wheat |
| Column distillation (traditional column still, 47 plates)Other | – | – | – | – | Wheat, Barley malt |
| Fruit distillery (premium fruit brandies, traditional copper pot stills, small batches)Other | – | – | 400 kg raw material | 400 kg Rohware (Ertrag ca. 30–80 Liter | Mirabelles, Williams Christ pears, Quinces, Greengages, Wild cherries |
| Hexenküche (liqueurs, geists, herbal spirits – maceration and geist distillation)Other | – | – | – | – | Herbs, Berries, Nuts (hazelnut, peanut, pistachio), Caraway |
| Vacuum distillation (Burgen gins, at around 60 °C)Other | – | – | – | – | Juniper, Cardamom, Fennel, Coriander, Grapefruit, Yuzu, Lemongrass, Passion fruit, Raspberry |
| Maceration and distillation of macerates (separate maceration per raw material, subsequentOther | – | – | – | – | Hazelnut, Peanut, Pistachio, finely filtered neutral alcohol |
| Cask storage/maturation (bourbon, red wine, rum, sherry, port, white wine casks; oak, larch,Other | – | – | – | – | Oak casks (American oak), Red wine cask, Rum cask, White wine cask |
| Contract distillation & white-label production (bonded distillery, unlimited customs lawOther | – | – | – | typical batch approx. 750 liters | Fruit, Grain |
| Bottling, labeling and legally compliant declaration (bottling in desired bottle shapes,Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mash and mixing process (mashing of the grain at the distillery, reduction withOther | – | – | – | – | Wheat, Barley malt, Wheat malt, Rye malt, Spelt malt, Corn, Raw wheat |
| Testing: DLG sensory analysis (independent sensory testing, >30 years of gold/silver/bronze awards)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| IFS Food audits (production processes, hygiene standards, traceability, Higher Level)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
5 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Column distillery (column still, 47 plates) | – | 1 | – | – | Schlitzer Destillerie, Im Grund 16, 36110 Schlitz |
| Fruit distillery (premium systems from the market leader, traditional copper pot stills) | – | 1 | – | 1996 (in | Schlitzer Destillerie, Schlitz |
| Hexenküche (system for maceration and geist distillation) | – | 1 | – | – | Schlitzer Destillerie, Schlitz |
| Grain distillery | – | 1 | – | – | Schlitzer Destillerie, Schlitz |
| Cask warehouse (historic storage cellars; new whisky warehouse 2025, space for approx. 700 casks) | – | 2 | – | 2025 (neue | Schlitzer Destillerie, Schlitz |
Quality & certification
For more than 30 years in a row, the spirits have been sensorily tested by independent DLG experts (award for long-standing product quality). Production and hygiene are audited through IFS Food audits at Higher Level; the organic range is certified to DE-ÖKO-012 with full traceability.
| Evidence | Schlitz |
|---|---|
| IFS Food Higher Level | |
| EU organic (DE-ÖKO-012) | |
| DLG award for long-standing product quality | |
| Member of BSI | |
| Member of the Association of German Whisky Distillers |
History
- 1585
Founded by Eustach Graf von Schlitz, called von Görtz, as a court distillery in Sandlofs
- 1952
Move from the Schlitzer brewery to the current site in the stable buildings of a former sheep farm
- 1969
Acquisition of the Graf-Görtz Korn distillery by the state of Hesse
- 1996
Commissioning of the fruit distillery
- 2006
Conversion into Schlitzer Korn- & Edelobstbrennerei GmbH; owners the towns of Schlitz (90 %) and Hünfeld (10 %)
- 2008
Start of organic production
- 2012
Introduction of Burgen vodka
- 2021
Opening of the Schlitzer Whisky Lounge
- 2025
Completion of a new whisky warehouse with space for around 700 casks