Kohl Apple Juice with Elderflower. Apple juice drink made from mountain apple juice and elderflower extract – floral, delicately fresh, and multi-layered.

Kohl Apple Juice with Elderflower is a drink made from 98% mountain apple juice and 2% elderflower extract by Thomas Kohl from Auna di Sotto on the Renon plateau, South Tyrol. The flower extract is also prepared with mountain apple juice, and the 750 ml bottle contains no added sugar.

Apple juice with elderflower by Kohl is the opposite of what many associate with elderberry. When thinking of elderflower, most people imagine a thick, sweet syrup that you have to dilute with plenty of water. Here, it is the other way around: the mountain apple juice makes up almost the entire bottle, with the elderflower added only as a subtle extract. The specialty lies in the detail. According to the manufacturer, this flower extract is already prepared with mountain apple juice, without any added sugar at all. The sweetness in the glass therefore comes solely from the apples. According to the product data sheet, it is a drink made from apple juice and elderflower extract. Kohl carries this bottle in his CUVÉE line, alongside versions with apricot, pear, or apple mint.

Taste

This cuvée tastes floral, full-bodied, and delicately fresh. In the glass, it radiates a clear straw yellow.

The scent of elderflower rises immediately from the glass, floral and summery. On the palate, it combines, according to the manufacturer, with the juice of sun-ripened mountain apples. The apple fruit provides body and acidity, while the blossom lies over it like a veil. Thomas Kohl describes the result as multi-layered, and indeed, fruit and blossom alternate in the mouth. The juice feels light without being thin. Those expecting the sweet taste of elderflower syrup will find this cuvée significantly drier. Those who enjoy fine, floral drinks will find summer in a bottle here.

Usage

Serve the elderflower cuvée at 8 to 10 °C in a stemmed glass. Thomas Kohl recommends it as an aperitif, with grilled vegetables and fish, with pasta with clams or crustaceans, and with cream desserts. As an aperitif, it opens a summer meal in the garden. The blossom brings freshness to the plate when paired with grilled zucchini, bell peppers, and eggplant. For fish, think of grilled sea bream or trout with herbs. Spaghetti alle vongole or linguine with shrimp are also good partners. For dessert, it pairs well with panna cotta, crème brûlée, or vanilla cream with berries.

Once opened, the bottle belongs in the refrigerator; according to the manufacturer, you should finish it within six days. Unopened, it should be stored in a cool, dark place.

Our tip: Pour the bottle with spaghetti with clams, garlic, and parsley. Served cool in a stemmed glass, the blossom meets the sea.

Origin

The apples for this cuvée grow on the Renon, the high plateau above Bolzano. Bolzano itself lies at around 260 meters, and the Troidner fruit farm in Auna di Sotto is several hundred meters higher. Thomas Kohl's apple orchards reach up to almost 1,000 meters above sea level. Their locations are oriented from east to southwest and, according to Kohl, are extremely sunny. When the mountain wind sets in in the evening, the temperature drops significantly. This alternation between warm days and cool nights allows the apples to ripen slowly. In spring, bees pollinate the apple blossoms. The apples are later picked individually by hand and only when fully ripe, then pressed on the farm and gently pasteurized.

For whom

The Kohl Apple Juice with Elderflower is for everyone looking for a fine, floral, non-alcoholic drink in the summer. It fits a barbecue evening, a garden party, and meals with fish and seafood. As a gift for a summer party, the bottle is also a lovely idea, especially for guests who are abstaining from wine. According to the manufacturer, the drink does not contain any of the 14 major allergens and carries the European Vegetarian Union's vegan label. More herb-fresh is the apple juice with apple mint. All cuvées and varieties can be found on our page for Kohl mountain apple juice. It is not suitable for those who want a pure, single-varietal apple juice.

Mountain apple juice with elderflower extract, 750 ml from the Renon – floral and delicately fresh, a bottle for fish, pasta with clams, and summer evenings.