Williams' Bon Chrétien

Williams Goldene Birne by STILVOL. with a soaked Williams pear

Williams Goldene Birne by STILVOL. is a pear schnapps made from their own Williams Christ pears, in which whole fruit pieces are steeped for months. Golden in color, mild to drink, with 36% alcohol. Not a harsh fruit brandy, but a spirit infused with fruit.

Williams Goldene Birne is a pear schnapps from STILVOL. in Baden-Württemberg, for which a small-scale distiller distills ripe Williams Christ pears from their own harvest and subsequently soaks hand-cut pears in the spirit for several months. The brown apothecary bottle holds 500 ml, and the schnapps has 36% alcohol. Because the fruit rests in it for so long, it is also called the "Alte Williams" (Old Williams).

Liquid gold from the Williams pear

The pear schnapps tastes of ripe, almost overripe pear, sweet and dense, and is surprisingly smooth for its strength.

The soaked fruits release three things: their aroma, their sweetness, and their golden color—which is exactly where the name comes from. Fruity, gentle, and long-lasting, the pear coats the alcohol, ensuring the harshness that many fear in fruit brandy never even emerges.

The Williams Christ is the most aromatic yet most sensitive of all pears, as it only hits its peak for a few days. A distiller must therefore be ready at exactly the right moment, which is easiest for someone who keeps an eye on their own trees.

Pure to finish or hot in winter

When drunk at room temperature, the Williams shows its full fruit profile; when chilled, it seems more closed off and significantly sharper.

After a good meal, it belongs in a small glass and needs nothing more once you have experienced it that way. In the bar, it becomes a Golden Fizz with lemon and tonic, a Williams Sour when shaken with lemon and sugar, and in winter, it can be served hot as a pear punch at a Christmas market, where it easily steals the show from mulled wine.

Stored in a cool, dark place, the pear schnapps remains unchanged for years; it does not have an expiration date. The golden tone in the bottle comes solely from the fruit; nothing else is added.

A distiller with their own trees

The Williams pears for this schnapps grow at the distiller's own orchard, so they are harvested and distilled in the same place.

With such a short-lived fruit, this is the decisive advantage, as there is no transport time between the tree and the mash. It is distilled in a rural small-scale distillery, as the producer notes on every label, and artificial flavors or colorings are deliberately avoided. The second production step—soaking whole fruit pieces for months—requires additional time and reduces yield.

The "Old Willi" that sat behind the living room cabinet for decades has thus become a bottle you put on the front shelf. The drink has remained the same, but the embarrassment is gone.

The tart-sweet quince liqueur made from two varieties is similarly fruity but significantly lighter, while the hazelnut schnapps made from caramelized nuts is sweeter and nuttier. The entire range can be found in the STILVOL. producer hub, and you can find more bottles of this kind in our selection of fruit brandies. A pear schnapps with soaked fruit is the friendliest way to approach the subject of fruit brandy.