October 2003 - Nr. 10
A Century Old German Tradition Is Revived In Canada
by Lib E. Itomas
For over 100 years it has been a household name among German families. Its name conjures up celebration arid good tunes. It has become a tradition for holiday entertaining in Germany and in Canada’s German community. And now more and more Canadians are discovering its secret as a competitor to France’s Cognac (the secret some say is that it is better than its French counterpart).
Asbach Uralt - The famous German Specialty from Rüdesheim on the Rhine. And it’s available at selected LCBO stores across Ontario. It’s worth looking for and asking about. Refer to its name, Asbach Uralt and its CSPC code number 021089 when asking for it at your favourite LCBO outlet.
Of course Asbach Uralt has been available in limited quantities for some time in Ontario. But it’s only recently that increased interest has been sparked for the brand, Asbach’s new Canadian representatives, Peter Mielzynski Agencies, have begun an aggressive marketing and educational campaign featuring in-store tastings, targeted advertising and attention-grabbing promotions for the brand.
In
a bold initiative for this holiday season, Peter Mielzynski Agencies have
imported the famous Rüdesheimer Coffee cups and saucers for delivery to
Canadian homes in time for the holidays. These authentic cups, imported
directly from Rüdesheim, Germany, are decorated with scenes from the Rhine
River. Each cup tapers from a large brim to a smaller base and is shaped to
make it easier to warm your hands if you come in from a frosty winter outing
or to keep your hands cool depending on how you hold it. For information on
how to order these sets write to Peter Mielzynski Agencies Rudesheimer
Coffee Offer, 3075 Ridgeway Drive, Unit 7, Mississauga, On L5L 5N6 or e-mail
info@pma.com.
The history of Asbach end the development of Rüdesheimer Coffee goes back to the year 1892 when company founder, Hugo Asbach, left his adopted home country of France and came to Rüdesheim on the Rhine with the dream of starting his own company. Having worked in the French vineyards and in the distilleries of Cognac, Hugo Asbach had become skilled in the art of distilling fine wines to produce cognac. His goal was to create a product equal to French cognacs and at the sane time cater to German tastes. So, at the tender age of just 24, he started his business with two operating stills.
Hugo Asbach’s early brandies distilled from fine grape wines exactly like it’s done for Cognac were an immediate success. But while word-of-mouth increased the product’s popularity and demand grew, lack of financing for expansion held the fledgling company back. Then in 1907 Albert Sturm and his family of wine merchants joined the firm giving it the economic means to produce enough product to go up against the all-powerful region.
On March 18, 1907 Asbach Uralt as a brand was trademarked and registered at Germany’s Imperial Patent office. And Hugo Asbach’s patent coined a new word in the German language, "Weinbrand", as a head on competitor to the best of France’s cognacs. In an imaginative move Hugo Asbach had linked his own family name to a pledge of quality and created the name Asbach Uralt with "Uralt" signifying the maturity of the "Weinbrand" resulting from its long cask storage period.
But not only the designation "Weinbrand" goes back to Hugo Asbach. He also defined the principles for producing the Asbach brands valid to this very day: strict quality standards, perfection, diligence and lots of time for maturing. Implementation of this philosophy is still the ruling principle for the Asbach brand today. And the term "Weinbrand" remains the legally protected designation of origin and quality of premium brandies made in Germany.
Following the death of Hugo Asbach in 1935 his two sons Hermann and Rudolf took over management of the firm with their uncle Franz Boltendahl and together they worked to expand internationally. The famous slogan, "The spirit of the wine is in Asbach" was set to kick off the expansion when World War II suspended all production and sales.
In 1950 Asbach resumed its business and was soon the forerunner of the post-war German economic revival. Seven years later, in 1957, the famous Rüdesheimer Coffee recipe was created by Hans Adam featuring Asbach Uralt. The specialty coffee was so popular that it significantly increased Asbach Uralt’s reputation as a byword for sophisticated beverages. It was not long before other specialties began using Asbach Uralt’s quality in their products. The Rüdesheim Fruit Pot was one specialty that quickly became a consumer favourite.
The Asbach international campaign introduced the new Weinbrand to other cultures and tastes and the company experienced incredible growth in the second half of the twentieth century. Today, the company continues its expansion and extension of its product line with special products like the Asbach 1972 vintage, the Asbach Selection 21-year-old and the Asbach Spezial Brand which are available in limited quantities in Germany and a few European countries.
A fabulous new Asbach Visitor’s Centre has been built to welcome anyone touring the distillery. And Canadians are offered free admission for two with the purchase of the Asbach Rüdesheimer Coffee offer.
Yet after all these years, Asbach Uralt still remains as the vanguard of quality, the brandy ... er ... Weinbrand that can successfully challenge the best from France’s Cognac region. And for the first time Canadians of all cultural and ethnic backgrounds will be exposed to the pleasures of that "famous German specialty from Rüdesheim on the Rhine" - Asbach Uralt - pleasures that will undoubtedly echo from the homes of Canada’s German community this holiday season.
For more information on Asbach, go to the Peter Mielzynski Agencies website at www.pmacanada.com.
THE OFFICIAL RÜDESHEIMER COFFEE RECIPE
- sugar cubes
- hot coffee
- 1½ oz. Asbach Uralt
- whipped cream
- vanilla and grated chocolate sprinkle
Place three cubes of sugar in a warm Asbach Coffee cup and add 1½ oz. of Asbach Uralt brandy. Set aflame. Stir and allow to burn for one minute. Fill up with hot coffee to within an inch of the top of the cup and stir well, cover with a layer of whipped cream flavoured with vanilla and then sprinkle with grated chocolate.
