Wajos Spiced Plum Liqueur. Ripe plum, cinnamon, and vanilla, 18 percent alcohol, full-bodied and sweet – the fruit liqueur that tastes like a winter kitchen and is best enjoyed chilled.

Wajos Spiced Plum Liqueur is an 18 percent alcohol fruit liqueur that tastes of ripe plums, cinnamon, and vanilla, based on an old Viennese recipe, 350 ml from Dohr on the Moselle. Not a plum schnapps, not a mulled wine, not a cream liqueur, but a sweet, spicy fruit-flavored liqueur that belongs served cold in a small glass. For ages 18 and up.

Spiced Plum Liqueur from Wajos is what we put on the table on the evening when the first frost hits outside: the kids are in bed, the stove is still warm, and instead of a second glass of red wine, we bring out a small bottle from the fridge. It smells like plum cake with cinnamon, tastes of ripe fruit and vanilla, and at 18 percent, provides just the right amount of warmth. A small glass, sipped slowly, and the evening is complete. That is all this liqueur intends to do – and that is enough.

Plum up front, cinnamon and vanilla behind, sweet and well-rounded

When pouring, the liqueur smells of plum jam, cinnamon, and vanilla – like spiced plums simmering in a pot with red wine and a cinnamon stick. On the tongue, you get the fruit first, ripe and sweet, then the cinnamon, and finally the vanilla that rounds it all off. At 18 percent, it is mild; the alcohol never dominates. Honestly, it is a sweet liqueur, far from a dry fruit brandy; those who drink it chilled will notice the sweetness less. It is not suitable for those expecting a clear, strong plum schnapps – for that, the Christmas Spiced Rum with nearly 38 percent is the stronger winter bottle from Wajos.

Chilled as a digestif, over vanilla ice cream, in mulled wine, and in sauces

The simplest way: straight from the fridge into a small glass after a meal, instead of or alongside an espresso. Over vanilla ice cream, it becomes a dessert for evenings when the oven stays cold – two scoops, a tablespoon of liqueur, and a few walnuts. A splash in mulled wine or punch adds plum and cinnamon notes, saving you from buying extra spices; it works just the same in tea with milk. In the kitchen, a tablespoon is worth adding to game sauces or for deglazing red cabbage. And stirred into a chocolate cake or mousse, it does exactly what rum would otherwise do. It is not suitable for summer cocktails with ice and sparkling water – cinnamon and vanilla want to keep the cold outside, not inside the glass.

Our tip: Baked apple from the oven with marzipan and raisins, served with a tablespoon of Spiced Plum Liqueur drizzled over the vanilla sauce – our dessert on the first day of Advent.

Liqueur is how it all began at Wajos

Before there were cremas, oils, and spices, there was liqueur at Wajos: Walter Josef Oster, from a winemaking family in Ediger-Eller with 15 generations of viticulture, opened a liqueur manufactory next to the winery in the 1980s. From this manufactory, his son Peter Oster and Ulf Schwichtenberg developed the Wajos brand starting in the 2000s, based in Dohr near Cochem on the Moselle – with over 80 employees, their own stores, and a laboratory that tests every batch. A plum liqueur here is a core craft, far more than just a side product.

The bottle for winter evenings, the Advent table, and as a gift

The Spiced Plum Liqueur is for anyone who prefers something sweet in their glass after a meal rather than a schnapps, and for hosts who want to put a small bottle on the table for dessert. As a gift, it pairs well with Grandma's Baked Apple Liqueur in a winter package or alongside the Spiced Plum Crema – the same fruit, once for the glass and once for the salad; all liqueurs can be found on our Wajos page. Store in a dry place away from light, and chill before serving; 350 milliliters are enough for about 15 small glasses. It is not suitable for anyone under 18 or for those who find cinnamon in their drink too much.

Plum, cinnamon, and vanilla, 18 percent, chilled in a small glass – the fruit liqueur from the Moselle that kicks off the first cold evening of the year for us.