Fairytale-like Spessart

Gin from the forest

Four young distillers from Lohr am Main use ingredients exclusively sourced from their native woodland – and turn them into their award-winning “Snow White” gin.

All is calm. Absolute silence in a beautiful setting of deep forests, crystal-clear streams and gentle hills. A pleasant, resinous scent of Douglas fir fills the air. Every now and then there is a small rustling noise. Occasional voices can be heard. A group of people is walking through the forest in Lohr am Main in Spessart. They are collecting pine needles, checking them, smelling them, picking them. These are four young men – Markus Skrobanek, Jonas Völker, Fabian Kreser and Stefan Blum – together with their guests. They are collecting ingredients from the forest for their award-winning gin – “Snow White”.

The "Snow White" gin distillers from Lohr am Main

Snow White Gin of the Eichenberg Manufactory

Die SnowWhite Gin Produzenten in Lohr im Spessart, Markus, Stefan, Jonas und Fabian

The quartet of
“Snow White” gin distillers - Markus, Stefan, Jonas and Fabian

This well-known fairy-tale character is not just on the label of their distillery products, but is also indirectly reflected in the flavour. “We named our gin after Snow White because the fairy-tale character is the hallmark of our homeland of Spessart,” explains Markus Skrobanek. “Since we set out to produce a native product, it was obvious to us that we wanted to name it after our homeland.” For their gin the four only use regional products: Spring water and needles from the Douglas firs in the forest as well as apples from their parents’ orchards. As a result each glass contains pure Spessart nature.

However, the gin does not just taste of the homeland, but also illustrates its provenance on the label. One look at the fairy-tale mirror on the bottle shows the seven dwarfs at work. “They are collecting the ingredients for Snow White’s beauty drink in the forest. On the way to the distillery, they are watched by the animals of the forest. The story is framed by decorations created by my father for a handrail in the family home,” comments Markus Skrobanek.

A Bavarian tradition brings nationwide success

In the Bavarian town of Lohr am Main, distilling is a long-held tradition. Certain houses were once given distilling rights - including that of Fabian Kreser’s grandparents, who continued to produce fruit brandies until 2013. When the distillery was due to close, their grandson knew what he had to do: “I didn’t want to see the distilling rights taken away so I took them over. I’ve been running the distillery ever since,” declares the 25-year-old.

But a good product needs a lot of time - time that the student wasn’t able to give alongside his studies. He asked his three friends for help. Since then they have been running the distillery as a foursome. And they’ve been very successful: in 2018, they won the silver medal at the Craft Spirit Festival - the most important trade fair for home-made spirits - for their “Snow White” gin.

Fabian Kreser knew the business through his grandfather’s distillery.

For their gin the four only use regional products of the forest.

Fabian is harvesting apples for the gin.

Distilling gin - with a love for the homeland

For these young men it’s about far more than commercial success. They hearts are wedded to their homeland, nature and the preservation of a highly valued tradition. The forests of the Spessart region play a key role: they supply the ingredients to make the gin and the wood to heat it. Above all, however, they are a wonderful recreational area, says a passionate Jonas Volker: “We are especially captivated by the stillness we have here. The Spessart is a place of peace.”

This is appreciated by a great many locals and visitors: They walk through the Spessart, marvel at the imposing old trees and try to spot rare creatures like the lynx or the barbastelle bat. And it is precisely this moment that the four men try to capture in the flavour of their gin. “Our gin should taste like a walk through the woods on a fresh summer morning,” states Markus Skrobanek. “Imagine the dew on the leaves and meadows - this is provided by the spring water and the tingle of the lemons. The sweetness of the apples reflects the first rays of the sun. The scent of the forest is provided by the resinous note of the juniper berries and the pine needles.”

Welcome to Snow White’s fairy-tale forest

Stefan Blum, Fabian Kreser, Markus Skrobanek and Jonas Völker take their guests on a culinary and actual journey through the impressive forest of the Spessart. “They can help us with the apple harvest, fetch the water from the spring or pick and collect needles in the forest,” explains Fabian Kreser.

Together with their guests, the four young distillers ensure that an old Bavarian tradition is preserved. The use of regional ingredients from the forest plus the love and time that they dedicate to their spirit leads, according to Markus Skrobanek, to the production of “something a bit special”: A gin that tastes of the Spessart – to the delight of its visitors.

Personal tips

from Stefan Blum, Fabian Kreser, Markus Skrobanek and Jonas Völker

There are endless opportunities to enjoy our region: start with the forestry houses, which can be combined with a walk taking in the various viewpoints such as the Sohlhöhe near Lohr am Main. From this 531-metre high hill you get fantastic views across virtually the whole of the Spessart. From Karl-Neuf-Platz you have a lovely view of Lohr. We also enjoy visiting the Klosterkuppel near the Forsthaus Aurora. It is 553 metres high, making it the highest point in the Bavarian Spessart. From there we look out over the Hafenlohrtal valley towards Aschaffenburg. We also have the Natural Forest Reserve of Eichhall. The oak trees there are almost 400 years old.

Every Thursday we visit our old inns in Lohr to enjoy some typical Franconian cuisine. These are very popular and we always find the food particularly tasty. We also like to sit in a small farmyard here in the forest and tuck into a hearty snack. After a 12-hour shift at the distillery this is a great way to switch off. That’s our highlight.

Best of all, at the end of July we have our annual Lohrer Spessart festival week. It’s well known far beyond our borders. There are now coach companies who bring guests here from the neighbouring federal states. In the Old Town of Lohr, which dates back to the twelfth century, there are special spring festivals, also known as Rambourfeste. We have regular farmers’ markets here too, where you can buy regional products.

Another place that is well worth a visit is the castle of Snow White, the Lohrer Spessartmuseum. There you can find out all about this fairy-tale character. They even offer guided tours led by Snow White herself: young women dress up as Snow White and seven tots play the part of her dwarfs - it always looks very lovely. Here in Lohr we also have a large statue of this fairy-tale figure. When it was first installed the event was reported on the radio and television.

Yet another attraction is the Bayerische Schanz - the highest inn in Spessart. The way up to the forest inn is very popular with motorcyclists due to its winding road. But walkers are equally enthusiastic about the route. It is also possible to ride up to the inn in a horse-drawn carriage. There’s a great deal to see here, I could go on forever (laughs). And when you’re done, you can always call in here for a glass of Snow White gin.