From Bars to Words to Spirit – The Journey Behind Mohngeist
There are flavours that are more than flavours—they are memories, inheritances, and the quiet threads that tie us to where we come from. For me, poppy seeds have always carried that weight. They were the taste of my childhood, woven into the dishes my Hungarian grandmother prepared with a patience that felt like love itself. With every bite, she taught me something—about resilience, integrity, and the strength to trust my own instincts.
She was a woman who always looked after others, who helped wherever she could, and whose warm heart was felt long before she entered a room. As she grew older, her wise words and gentle humour only deepened that warmth. Poppy seeds became a symbol of everything she passed on. Years later, as a traveller and cocktail enthusiast, I found myself searching for that taste again—not in a cake or a pastry, but in a spirit. Something was missing in the landscape of flavours: a spirit that could express the depth, subtlety, and nostalgia of true poppy seed.
When I shared this thought with Freimeisterkollektiv they didn’t dismiss it as a curiosity. Instead, they listened. They understood what I meant: that this was not just about creating another spirit, but about capturing a memory.
Together, they connected with Zott Distillery, a place where craftsmanship still matters, and with the remarkable poppy seeds from Mohnhof Asam. What began as a longing slowly took shape through their hands, their expertise, and their shared passion for honest, expressive spirits.
Introducing MOHN 252 — Poppy Seed Geist, 44% ABV, a new poppy seed distillate that brings together the expertise of three specialists in one project.
The refinement lies in the hands of Katharina Zott, a virtuoso in her field, trained at the University of California in Davis and holding a doctorate in oenology from the University of Bordeaux. Her philosophy is the refinement of agricultural products. To achieve this, the cleaned blue poppy seeds are ground, macerated in wheat distillate, and then gently distilled. MOHN 252 is the result of this precise craftsmanship: a 44% spirit that perfectly captures the complex aroma of poppy seeds.
The Preparation Process
The cultivation of poppies in Germany is strictly regulated and requires a special permit from the Federal Opium Agency. Only a few varieties of so-called blue poppies (Papaver somniferum L., breadseed poppy) are allowed to be cultivated, and low opiate content is essential. The Asam family from the Wittelsbach region has been farming near Augsburg for several generations. Until recently, their business focused primarily on livestock and feed crops. Faced with increasing bureaucracy and limited growth opportunities, the family sought ways to diversify. The cultivation of blue poppies not only provided a new use for their fields but also opened up an entirely new product range. Today, the Asams sell a wide variety of poppy products, including oil, soap, and chocolate.
After sowing in autumn, the blue poppies bloom in early June—not red like the familiar corn poppy, but in vibrant purple and pink. Once harvested and threshed, the seeds are meticulously cleaned. Remaining stems, capsules, and dried brown seeds are removed, as only the blue seeds contain the characteristic intense poppy aroma. At the nearby distillery of Katharina Zott, the seeds are turned into spirit. They are first ground so their oils dissolve optimally during maceration in wheat distillate. The macerate is then distilled in a copper still. Because poppy seed macerate foams heavily during heating, the process requires extreme care—only a slow, controlled distillation yields the best result. After removing the foreshots, Katharina focuses on the high-quality hearts; the tails are discarded. The heart is finally reduced to 44% ABV. The result is a precise, expressive spirit that captures the full depth of poppy seed aroma.
Now, all those paths—from my grandmother to my travels around the world—are united in a single bottle: Mohngeist. It is more than a spirit. It is memory, distilled. A tribute to heritage, to curiosity, and to the belief that flavours can tell stories across generations.
I still miss my grandmother. And I am sure she would love Mohngeist—I can picture her face lighting up as she takes a sip, telling stories from her hard-won life in that light, effortless way only she had, all while caring for everyone around her, just as she always did.
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