JOZSEF STEVLIK

Jozsef Stevlik Slivovitz is produced at the legendary Varda Distillery in a little town called Vasarosnameny, in the county of Szatmar. The Grand East of Hungary is a region well known for its Savoir-Faire in the crafting of premium single mash plum spirits. The fifth-generation craftsman and Master Distiller Attila Csobolya adds his footsteps to this unique small batch creation, supervised and approved by Rabbi David Weiss.

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Double distillation under low heat in traditional copper pot stills no bigger than 1000l develops a Slivovitz with remarkable flavor and aroma, truly expressing the heart of the plum and terroir from which it came. Only cold-pressed, extra virgin plum juice is permitted to enter the fermentation tank and absolutely no additional sugar or aroma extracts are added.

The Orthodox Council of Jerusalem Kashrut Department, B.D.Z. EDA CHAREDITH, is renowned worldwide for its rigorous and uncompromising observance of Kosher standards. These Kosher standards date back more than 3000 years, encrypted in the Torah, also known from the Old Testament as the five books of Moses, reflecting the divine law and the covenant code revealed to Moses in the desert at Mount Sinai.

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Each step of Kosher approval is thorough, obeying written guidelines of purification, units of measurements and ethical codes. This strict process and high-quality assurance carried out by the Head of Inspection, Rabbi David Weiss and Moshe Moskovits from the first Badatz Kosher Swiss chocolate division, gives our Slivovitz the honor to qualify as the first Badatz Kosher Hungarian plum spirit division.

Every tank is sealed with the initials of the Kosher Organization and can only be opened by the authorized Rabbi. If any tank is opened without the presence of the Rabbi, the plum mash will be disqualified and defined as “Not Kosher”. The risk of failure, in any stage of the production cycle, stimulates the strong focus of achievement through every team member involved, generating one of the finest premium plum spirits available on the market.

Jozsef Stevlik Slivovitz is handmade under the strictest supervision of “The Badatz”, from the early stage of the plum tree harvest to the final stage of bottling. The characteristic taste of the plum fruit is conserved in the fertile black soil of the Szatmar Region, nestled in the Basin of the Carpathian Lowlands. The black earth of Ukraine is one of the most fertile in the world, Szatmar County borders Ukraine where the rich black earth begins.

Legend has it that trees grow ten inches faster per year than anywhere else because of this lush soil and it is here that the blue damson plum is grown. Every single plum fruit is collected from regional plum trees and delivered by small farmers to the authorized Kosher Fruit Organization where they are cleaned, classified and stored in baskets. In the distillery, all plums are semi-hand pitted, mashed and stored in manual-koshered stainless-steel tanks where the slow fermentation process begins.

Tons of Plum Collected for the Vintage Edition 2018

195

Number of Plum Trees Harvested by Local Farmers in the County of Szatmar

2779

Pounds of Plum Fruit in one Bottle of Jozsef Stevlik Slivovitz

14

Jozsef Stevlik was born 1910 in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, Nove Zamky, a historical town, situated in today’s Slovakia. He was a travelling salesman who met many people on his journeys. On one trip, he came across a Jewish Merchant who was trading a secret recipe for homemade Kosher Slivovitz. It followed the ancient rituals of purification, based on “halakha” the Jewish law. The age-old recipe described the plums needed, fermentation process, pace of distillation, and all the secrets for making the unique creation of Authentic Kosher Slivovitz.

For centuries, Slivovitz has been a treasured commodity among Jewish Merchants. It was the main Shabbat Aperitif for the Jewish communities living in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, seen by many as the Golden Era of Jewish History. Royal authorities gave approval for Kosher Slivovitz distillation, granted for its noticeable “fit and proper” production, known in the Yiddish World as “Kasher” or “Kosher”. However, the market presence of Authentic Kosher Slivovitz declined after 1917 with the beginning of the downfall of the Kingdoms in Central and Eastern Europe.

HOMAGE

A century later, this unique recipe was reinterpreted by Jozsef’s Grandson, who used it to safeguard the time-honored traditions and create an artisan brand of vintage Slivovitz for the world to enjoy.

Welcome to the home of Jozsef Stevlik Authentic Kosher Slivovitz.

My Grandfather, Jozsef Stevlik, was a great admirer of Slivovitz. The traditional drink of the Carpathian people and the national symbol of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. He used to tell me stories about the wonderful people he met on the road and how he shared Slivovitz with them as a gesture of friendship. This tradition inspired me to produce one of the finest traditional Slivovitz and dedicate it to my Grandfather. We are proud to introduce our first Vintage Edition 2018.