Tangerine from Sicily

Sicilian Mandarin distilled at the Kaiserstuhl

The Sicilian Mandarin from Faude Feine Brände is a mandarin spirit made from Ciaculli mandarins, distilled at the Kaiserstuhl at 42% ABV. Fruity, fragrant, with fine acidity – an elegant digestif that brings a taste of Sicily to your glass.

Sicilian Mandarin is a mandarin spirit by master distiller Florian Faude from Bötzingen am Kaiserstuhl. To create it, he macerates hand-picked Ciaculli mandarins in pure grain alcohol to extract the essential oils from their peels. The fruit comes from Sicily, the distilling happens at the Kaiserstuhl – this combination results in a spirit that is both complex, fruity, and fresh.

Juicy mandarin, fragrant and fresh

On the nose, the Sicilian Mandarin is intense and fragrant, with the sweet freshness of ripe mandarin peel and a hint of blossoms.

On the palate, the mandarin spirit is complex and dry – the fragrant sweetness of the fruit meets a fine acidity that keeps it lively. Fragrant, fruity, fresh – the initial taste is immediate, the finish long and clean.

Unlike a sweet mandarin liqueur, this spirit remains crystal clear and dry – the entire fruit is in the aroma, not in sugar. You can smell Sicily before you take your first sip, which is exactly what makes it one of the bestsellers in our range.

As a digestif after a rich meal

Served neat and well-chilled, the Sicilian Mandarin is an elegant digestif that provides a light conclusion to a sumptuous meal.

As the finish to a rich menu, enjoy it ice-cold from a small glass, sipped very slowly. A splash is also wonderful over chocolate mousse or orange sorbet. If you love the citrus family, be sure to try the Sicilian Blood Orange and the Calabrian Bergamot as well – three spirits born from the same friendship with Italy.

Ciaculli mandarins from Giancarlo’s garden

Florian Faude sources his late-harvest Ciaculli mandarins from his friend Giancarlo, who grows them at the foot of Mount Etna.

The Mandarino Tardivo di Ciaculli ripens late in the gardens on the outskirts of Palermo and is considered a rare, protected specialty. Its full aroma and fine acidity make it the ideal fruit for a spirit that has nothing to hide.

In 2015, Florian met the farmer Giancarlo while on vacation in Sicily and was standing among his fragrant citrus trees by the very next harvest. The Ciaculli is a late, particularly aromatic mandarin – "Grazie amico mio!" shouts Florian, because without this fruit, this spirit would not exist.

"We macerate the fruit in pure alcohol and distill the result shortly thereafter," explains Florian. Using soft Black Forest water, he brings the spirit to 42% ABV and bottles it without chill filtration in the frosted 0.5-liter bottle reserved for his four citrus spirits. Florian took over his parents' distillery in 2006 and rebuilt it in 2017. You can find more spirits from Faude Feine Brände here.

Ice-cold from the frosted bottle

At an ice-cold 6 to 8 degrees, the Sicilian Mandarin reveals its fragrant freshness. Once opened, the spirit will keep for many months if stored in a cool, dark place. Together with bergamot, blood orange, and citron, the mandarin forms the citrus quartet that Florian unites in these frosted bottles. Salute, a piece of Sicily for your home.