As of: March 1, 2024, 11:15 a.m
By: Volker Camehn
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There is still hope for the schnapps distillers in Sauerlach: Thanks to a decision by the local council, the members of the fruit and horticultural association probably won't have to give up their hobby after all.
(Symbolic photo) © Stefanie Pfeiler/Tegernseer Tal Tourismus GmbH
There is still hope for the schnapps distillers in Sauerlach: Thanks to a decision by the local council, the members of the fruit and horticultural association probably won't have to give up their hobby after all.
Sauerlach
- Sauerlach's hobby distillers can hope: The members of the fruit and horticultural association around chairman Josef Kastenmüller have come a little closer to their goal of producing schnapps in the long term.
An important partial success: At its most recent meeting, the local council unanimously decided to give the association three hectares of land in the form of orchards.
However, it is still unclear which areas will be involved.
The municipal administration should suggest appropriate areas and clarify legal questions with the district office.
The amount of the rent has not yet been clarified, but it will probably be a symbolic amount, especially since the club cannot afford a market rent.
The district office must approve the agreement.
This is behind the possible ban on distillers
The reason for the planned land rental is existential: If the fruit distillery wants to continue to exercise its distilling rights beyond 2027, as a non-profit company it must demonstrate an “economic need” (we reported).
However, according to the current Alcohol Tax Ordinance (AlkStV), this only applies if an agricultural business exists “as an independent economic unit”.
Paragraph 19 of the Alcohol Tax Ordinance is therefore relevant for the people of Sauerlach who indulge their passion in the Argeter Local History Museum.
This regulates the “application for permission to operate a compensation distillery”.
Here it says, among other things: "The minimum size and the sufficient supply of permissible raw materials (...) are considered to have been achieved if the agricultural holding is at least 3.0 hectares in size."