In the Swiss distillery Distillerie Mount Rigi of the 30,000-inhabitant city of Zug in the canton of the same name, no big words are spared. On the website it says: “Finest Swiss Alpine aromas, boldly and freshly embellished with pure Kirsch. Mount Rigi goes wonderfully with tonic water, together with beer, spritzed on rosé wine, as a cocktail mixer or simply pure on the rocks. Always different in taste and aroma, the Flavor of the Alps is an enrichment to the purist Kirsch – Mount Rigi is the new Swiss aperitif”. That’s what I’d call a self-confident announcement. (provided test product)*
In 2015, Albert and Alexander Tichelli came up with the idea of Mount Rigi. And – the introductory words reveal it – they obviously wanted to take the classic Kirsch and raise it to a new level, to think it further, so to speak. However, it is not so easy to get more detailed information. So it is obviously a kirsch mixed with herbs and other ingredients, which is finally bottled at 20% vol., so it was either diluted quite strongly or even blended with other alcoholic drinks such as vermouth. Frankly, I do not know. What speaks against the theory of blending is simply that I couldn’t find anything reliable about it and it is pure speculation. The German distributor Tender Spirits speaks of a mixture of Swiss Kirschwasser, botanicals and herbal macerates and a shot of citric acid. It should not be too bitter or too herbal. Well, but what then?
There is only one way to find out!
Tasting notes:
Aroma: Ok, it is not so easy to articulate a clear impression here. I find herbs with a hint of mint and minimal menthol notes, followed by Kirschwasser and a certain sweetness that actually makes you think a bit of bubble-gum. The aroma is not too overwhelmingly intense, but unquestionably exceptional.
Taste: Mount Rigi is quite sweet (well, it is a liqueur) with clearly recognizable kirsch and again the herbal notes that one would most likely associate with an herbal lemonade (Bionade, Almdudler, somewhere in that direction). I also have quite distant chewing gum associations again.
Finish: medium long, especially the kirsch shows up here for a while
Well, I experimented with Mount Rigi for a while. Of course, you can drink it with soda or with tonic or rosé wine, as the manufacturer suggests. But I wanted a short drink, complex, bitter, spicy and yet unique. Straight-up and without any big knick-knacks. In the end, the result was a combination that was a little strange on paper, and one that couldn’t be said to have a certain regional flair. I mixed Reposado Tequila with Campari, Nardini Elixir China and Mount Rigi and sprayed it with an orange zest – and I love the result. I simply called the drink “Mountain Whisper”.
Recipe “Mountain Whispers”:
4 cl Reposado Tequila (100% Agave)
2 cl Mount Rigi
1 cl Campari
0.75 cl Nardini Elixir China
Preparation: Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass on ice until cold and strain into the pre-cooled glass. Sprinkle with the oil of an orange zest.
Glass: Goblet / Short Drink
Garnish: none
Buying sources: At specialized retailers or online
*The fact that this product has been sent to me free of charge for editorial purposes does not – in any way – imply any influence on the content of this article or my rating. On the contrary, it is always an indispensable condition for me to be able to review without any external influence.
Great cocktail idea! I’ll have to try it!