Damassine is a clear, fruit spirit,[1] distilled from the red damson plum,[2] produced exclusively in the Swiss Republic and Canton of Jura following appellation d'origine protégée (AOP) guidelines[3] that require specific sourcing and production practices.

[1][4][5] The production of Damassine in the Canton of Jura is an age old tradition however, due to a lack of historical documentation, no one really knows how the red damson plum arrived in the Jurassic region or how the practice of distilling the fruit began there.

[2][6] Another story has it that a former parish priest named François Guenat, from Charmoille, brought the seeds back with him from a trip to Palestine in 1145.

[6] Still another legend attributes the importation of the red damson to the Duke of Anjou who is believed to have discovered it in Jerusalem circa 1220 during the 5th crusade.

[4][5] Regardless of when the red damson arrived in the Canton of Jura and how the practice of distillation began, one thing is certain, the name Damassine is derived from Damascus, the Capital city of Syria.

[9] Since then, only plum spirits produced within the boundaries of the Republic and Canton of Jura made in accordance with the AOP guidelines can be labeled Damassine.

Under the AOP standards, the harvesting process requires that the plums be collected daily, by hand, only after they have naturally fallen from the trees.

[4][5] After distillation, Damassine must be stored for no less than six months in sealed containers and can not be sold prior to 11 November, of the year after harvest (St. Martin's Day).

[2] Red damsons are used to produce a number of other products including other liquors, syrups, jams, pies, chocolates, truffles, and prunes.

The secondary aromas are similar to those of other stone fruit (cherries, mirabelle), sweetness (honey, dried banana), and spices (coriander, cloves with a little touch of cinnamon).