Distillery Moser - Erl

Fine Spirits from the Moser Distillery

Michael Moser runs the farm in Erl together with his partner Eva-Maria Fankhauser and their four-year-old son. Michael's mother also lives there and helps out whenever needed.

The Moser family farm is located in Steigental, Erl. In this picturesque setting, they manage their land, keep mother cows, and tend an orchard. Michael's grandfather began distilling schnapps many years ago, initially as a side activity to make use of the fruit. When Michael's father retired, he intensified the distillery operations. For him, it was an enjoyable pastime that produced something good, or rather, something fine. Michael grew into this activity thanks to his father and has since taken over the family distillery.

Various Types

The Moser family orchard has about 25 trees, including apples and pears—the primary fruits used for making schnapps—as well as plums, apricots, and cherries. The fruit is harvested when ripe and washed. Only clean fruit can be used for schnapps. The fruit is then mashed and allowed to ferment for about three to four weeks, depending on the type of fruit. After fermentation, the raw distillate is produced. Michael's equipment requires double distillation. In the first step, the so-called raw water or ladder water is produced. This is then distilled a second time in the same still to produce the fine distillate. The schnapps is then aged in stainless steel tanks for about three to four months. This aging process develops the proper aroma for the fine spirits. After this process, Michael prepares the schnapps by adjusting the alcohol content to 40% to ensure it is pleasant to drink.

Just Stop By

Michael sells his finished fine spirits either directly from the farm or at the farmers' market in Niederndorf and at the Umminger farm shop in Niederndorf. Several local inns also source their schnapps from the Tischlerhof— the name of the mountain farm. Michael has had the schnapps labels printed with the farm name. Through serving in the inns, customers often come directly to the Moser family to purchase Tischler schnapps. There are no fixed opening hours; you can simply stop by Michael and his family anytime. Word of mouth is crucial for sales. Michael does not participate in competitions nor does he have an online presence. He is content with the way things are and consistently sells all the schnapps he produces. However, it sometimes happens that a particular variety is unavailable. The yield is not the same every year and depends on the fruit harvest. If a product runs out, customers need to be patient until the new schnapps is available a few months after the harvest, as Michael places great importance on aging. Directly after distillation, the taste would be too harsh. He does not want to sell his products like that, as quality is paramount to him.

A Pleasant Hobby

Like his father and grandfather before him, distilling schnapps is a pleasant hobby for Michael. It is certainly time-consuming at times, but his mother and partner Eva-Maria help out. Michael Moser works full-time for the municipality of Erl, and the farming work is a side business, which makes family cooperation essential during busy periods.

For inquiries, Michael can be reached at: 0676 843 264 692.