From the Trentino grappa heritage to the first Wachau apricot distillery
The history of Bailoni begins in 1872 with a double passion: Eugenio Bailoni from Vigolo Vattaro in Trentino came from a family of grappa distillers and knew the craft from the ground up. On a trip to Austria, he met Rosa Amon — a woman from the Wachau — and followed her to the Danube valley. With the eye of an experienced distiller, he quickly recognized that the region's apricots yielded far more than jam. Together with Rosa, he founded the first apricot distillery in the Wachau, with headquarters in Krems-Stein, directly on the Danube. What began as a small distillery grew over four generations into one of the most well-known Austrian spirits companies. In the early years of the 20th century, the distinctive, bulbous Bocksbeutel bottle was also created, which still makes Bailoni stand out from every shelf today.
In 1977, Bailoni was awarded the Austrian state coat of arms as the only apricot distillery in the Wachau — an award that the federal government grants to companies that set special quality standards for their field.
Craft, origin, and their own 1,500 trees
Bailoni does not source its apricots from the anonymous market, but from its own stock: around 1,500 apricot trees in the Wachau provide the raw material for schnapps, liqueur, and jam. The harvest begins at the end of July, as soon as the fruits are fully ripe — harvesting is done exclusively by hand, directly from the ground. There are no processing delays: the freshly harvested apricots are pitted, pressed, and processed immediately at the main house in Krems-Stein. The Wachau apricot itself carries an EU-protected designation of origin, which establishes its geographical link to the Danube valley between Melk and Krems — a quality framework that has been a home-field advantage for Bailoni from the start. The distillery states that it controls every single production step, from the blossom in April to the bottling in the characteristic round bottle.
Gold apricot schnapps, liqueur, and more — the range centered on one fruit
The heart of the range is the Original Wachauer Gold-Marillenschnaps and the Gold-Marillenlikör. The schnapps is triple-distilled and consists of 60% apricot distillate — a proportion that is significantly higher than the legal minimum and gives the brandy its fruity depth. The liqueur, amber-gold in the glass, shows aromas of apricot nectar and dried fruit, a full-bodied, silky body, and a long, slightly honeyed finish. Both products carry the Austrian quality seal. In addition to these classics, the Bailoni range includes an apricot frizzante, apricot jam, apricot pearls — a liqueur sphere for cocktails and desserts — as well as liqueurs made from Wachau cherry and plum. The main house in Krems-Stein offers tours and tastings by appointment; a flagship store at the Steinertor in Krems makes the products directly experienceable on-site.
