Over the years I’ve built a small global library of distilled spirits and fortified wines, and the World Cup Knockout Round feels like the perfect excuse to dig back into it - researching the producers, revisiting the bottles, and tasting my way through the bracket. Starting with today’s matches, I’ll be recommending one or two spirits for each game, whether they’re already on my shelf or simply deserve a place in the lineup. Today's matches for July 2nd.
Spain vs Austria
González Byass Lepanto Brandy de Jerez (Spain)González Byass is best known for its Sherry houses, but the family has also produced one of Spain’s leading brandies for over a century: Lepanto Brandy de Jerez, the only Brandy de Jerez distilled entirely within Jerez. Founded in 1835, the company built its reputation on careful cask management, and that same focus on wood, oxidation, and solera aging defines Lepanto.
The brandy is made from 100% Palomino grapes, the same variety used for Fino and Amontillado. After fermentation, the wine is distilled in Charentais‑style pot stills, creating a delicate, fruit‑forward spirit with subtle salinity. Aging follows a tiered solera system: first in ex‑Fino casks for brightness, then in ex‑Oloroso barrels for depth and dried‑fruit character. The Lepanto PX expression finishes in Pedro Ximénez casks, where raisin‑rich sweetness and velvety texture shape its final profile. The solera’s continuous blending preserves house character while allowing gradual evolution.Lepanto shows orange blossom, toasted almond, dried fig, and gentle oak on the nose. The palate is elegant and concentrated, with caramelized citrus, honeyed raisin, walnut, vanilla, and a touch of Sherry rancio linking it back to Jerez. The finish is long and warm, with cocoa, spice, and polished wood.
Austria
Austria is renowned for its high-quality, clear fruit brandies made from apricots, pears, cherries, and plums. These are typically distilled without added sugar or artificial flavorings and are often referred to as Geist (if made by macerating fruit in alcohol) or Obstler (a blend of fruit distillates). They are traditionally served neat as a digestif. Sadly, I have no spirits from Austria - plenty of wine - but no brandy or schnapps.
Portugal vs Croatia
Ginjinha Sem Rival Licor (Portugal)
Ginja is one of Portugal’s most familiar household liqueurs — a sour‑cherry spirit commonly kept in kitchens, dining rooms, and small cafés. Families serve it after meals or to visiting guests, and many towns maintain a strong homemade tradition. Jars of cherries macerating in alcohol often sit on windowsills, and it’s not unusual to see handwritten signs offering a small tasting for a modest fee. These versions vary in sweetness and strength, but they share the same basic method: whole ginja cherries, neutral spirit, and sugar.
Ginjinha Sem Rival is a long‑standing Lisbon producer working within this traditional framework. The brand uses whole cherries macerated in neutral spirit, creating a straightforward liqueur with bright cherry acidity, gentle sweetness, and a light almond‑like note from the pits. The recipe aligns closely with the homemade approach found throughout the country, which is part of why Sem Rival is so widely recognized. It’s a dependable, accessible bottling that reflects the classic flavor profile many Portuguese households expect.Sem Rival’s role is practical rather than innovative. It provides a consistent expression of ginja for homes, neighborhood cafés, and small restaurants, sitting alongside the homemade jars that remain part of local culture. In a country where ginja is both a commercial product and a domestic tradition, Sem Rival represents the producer side of a category still deeply rooted in everyday Portuguese life.
Brigljević Distillery Dark Forest Pomace Brandy - 8 Years (Croatia)It’s astonishing how many of Croatia’s most compelling spirits come from small, family‑run distilleries rather than large heritage houses — and Brigljević Distillery is a perfect example. Founded in 2002 in the forested hills of central Croatia, Brigljević built its reputation on meticulous craft distillation and a deep respect for traditional komovica (pomace brandy).
The brandy begins with fresh grape pomace sourced from Croatian vineyards, fermented slowly to preserve aromatic intensity and the natural fruit‑skin character that defines great Komovica (traditional pomace brandy - aka rakija). Distillation takes place in small copper pot stills, yielding a concentrated, textural spirit with both fruit purity and earthy depth. Maturation is where Dark Forest earns its name — the brandy spends eight full years aging in oak barrels housed in Brigljević’s cellars, where cooler temperatures, high humidity, and seasonal shifts create a uniquely gentle oxidative environment. Dark Forest opens with dried plum, wild berry, forest floor, and warm spice on the nose. The palate is structured yet elegant: black cherry, cocoa, toasted oak, resinous herbs, and subtle vanilla, all wrapped in the earthy depth that only long‑aged pomace brandy can deliver. The finish is long, warming, and woodland‑inflected, with lingering dark fruit, cedar, and gentle tannin. In my view, Brigljević’s Dark Forest stands as one of the most expressive modern Komovica bottlings — a spirit that captures the terroir of Croatia’s forests and vineyards.
Switzerland vs Algeria
Switzerland
Kirsch (also known as Kirschwasser or cherry brandy) is widely considered the most typical and popular distilled spirit in Switzerland. It is a clear, potent eau-de-vie made from distilling fermented cherries, with the region around Zug and Lake Lucerne being particularly renowned for its high-quality production.
Algeria
There is no single dominant national distilled spirit in Algeria; rather, the market is characterized by beer as the most consumed alcoholic beverage, followed by wine. When distilled spirits are consumed, they are typically local, traditional, or homemade varieties rather than a single major commercial brand. Key traditional spirits include:
- Mahia: A potent, earthy spirit made from dates or figs, often served in small shots.
- Boukha: A strong, sweet, and fruity fig brandy, which is typically homemade or locally bottled.
- Arak: A strong anise-flavored spirit traditionally diluted with water and ice.
Click here to view the other World Cup Knockout Round matches.
