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Korn (from German, "grain",pronounced[kɔʁn]ⓘ, English "corn"), also known asKornbrand orKornbranntwein (English: "grain brandy" or "grain spirit"[1][2]), is a German colorlessdistilled beverage produced from fermentedcereal grain seed.[3] The production ofKorn uses only five grains: most of the production is based onrye orwheat;barley is mainly used to obtain the requiredmalt for the brewing process;oats andbuckwheat are rarely used. The addition of food colorings, flavorings, or sweeteners is not permitted. Korn is distilled to loweralcoholic proofs and less rigorously filtered thanvodka, which leaves more of the cereal grain flavor in the finished spirit.
Korn must contain a minimum of 32%ABV (64 proof). Above 37.5% ABV (75 proof) it may be namedKornbrand, and the nameDoppelkorn, with 38% ABV (76 proof), has been used in the market.
Korn is usually consumedneat inshot glasses, but is also popular with asoft drink mixer. In some places, abeer is often ordered together with aKurzer ("short"),i.e., a shot glass of Korn. This combination is called in German a "Herrengedeck" (literally "gentlemen's place-setting"; English: "Boilermaker") in most parts of Germany. Fruit-flavored products made with Korn are available from some Korn manufacturers, though they are sold asliqueurs since Korn itself cannot be flavored.
Very strong Korn (80% ABV / 160 proof) is known as "Ansatzkorn" and is typically used to produce home-made liqueurs from fruits and herbs, such asZirbenschnaps (liqueur flavoured withstone pine cones); this practice is particularly common in alpine regions. Such liqueurs are usually diluted to drinking strength before bottling. Like other neutral strong spirits, Ansatzkorn can also be used as a disinfectant for domestic use.
Korn is believed to have been produced in Germany since the 15th century. The firstKorn production ban was imposed in 1545. A decree of the city council ofNordhausen prohibited the use of grain or malt for the production of spirits. Historians believebeer brewers wanted to defend themselves against the competition ofKornbrand producers, which had increased the cost of grain.
The first "purity law" (GermanReinheitsgebot) for the distillation of Korn was established in 1789. The regulation set by the city of Nordhausen stipulated that two thirds rye and one third barley or malt shall be used.[4]
Korn is seen in Germany as "a cheap liquor that is mainly drunk by workers and farmers."[5] In contrast to this image, beginning in the late 2000s, a number of companies began producing premium Korn, including barrel-aged versions, as part of a trend towards hand-crafted, traditional, and local products.[6][7]
The process for distillingKorn is similar to other grain-based distilled spirits, such as whisky. Grain, normally wheat or rye, is ground usually in ahammermill and then cooked with hot water, forming amash. The temperature is then reduced, and enzyme-rich ground barleymalt or enzyme mixture is added to convert the grain starches into sugar. The mash is then cooled and fermented with yeast, producingethanol in the mash. This is followed by thedistillation process. The spirit is subjected to multiple distillations in order to remove unwanted odors and flavors. The resulting high-proof distillate (about 85% ABV, compared to about 95% for vodka) is diluted with water. To round off and harmonize the bouquet, high-quality Kornbrands are aged in oak, then diluted to the desired drinking strength and bottled.
The industrial production of Korn is concentrated in several regions of Germany:Bad Oldesloe in Schleswig-Holstein,Nordhausen in northern Thuringia,Haselünne in the Lower Saxony district ofEmsland andOelde in Westphalia. In Nordhausen, the companyEchter Nordhäuser Spirituosen GmbH produces the Korn brand "Echter Nordhäuser" (Original Nordhausener). In 1799,Otto von Bismarck's father, Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, established a Korn distillery atSchönhausen.
Korn market leaders in Germany are the brandsOldesloer Weizenkorn, followed byStrothmann Weizenkorn andEchter Nordhäuser Korn (2004). For Doppelkorn,Echter Nordhäuser Doppelkorn was the market leader in 2007, followed byBerentzen Doornkaat andFürst Bismarck Kornbrand.[8]
Mit dem Image des Korn steht es nicht zum besten, muss selbst Peter Pilz vom Verband Deutscher Kornbrenner zugeben. 'Der Korn gilt als preisgünstiger Schnaps, der vor allem von Arbeitern und Bauern getrunken wird.'[Even Peter Pilz from the Association of German Korn Distillers has to admit that the image of Korn is not the best. 'Korn is seen as a cheap liquor that is mainly drunk by workers and farmers.']
'Als wir anfingen, war Vodka das Getränk der Stunde', erinnert sich Honrodt. 'Korn galt als billiger Fusel, den ältere Herren in Eckkneipen zum Bier kippen.'['When we started out, vodka was the drink of the hour,' Honrodt recalls. 'Korn was seen as cheap booze that older men would drink with their beer in corner pubs.]
