Pruncoty Brandy

Pruncotiésh [proon-KOT-ee-yesh], or Pruncoty Brandy, is a spirit made from a secret mixture of fresh and dried vine fruits and flavourings on the island of Pruncoty, in The Spines. Pruncotiesh is made in small batches and highly prized, once enjoyed exclusively by the royal houses of Besoa and Antyok. Today it is valued throughout the world, particularly in Harthera and Anrel, though the trade is rife with adulteration and counterfeiting.

In Old Aralsic, pruncotiesh means “fire of the vine stone”, both referring to the fruit's stoney pit and to the name of the island, whose name means Vine Stone.

Pruncotiesh is made from hardy vines which proliferate throughout the island, being unusually tolerant to salt and wind. The vines grow in thin soils, rooting in cracks in rocks and even in walls and roofs. They naturally fruit throughout the year but their yields are small, so some of the harvest is left to wither on the vine, or air-dried. The vines can also be regularly pruned and allowed to produce one large crop in the late summer.

Large fresh fruit crops are pressed to extract their juice, poured into large stone jars along with a proportion of dried fruit and other additional ingredients, then the jar is sealed with clay. Recipes are closely guarded family secrets redolent with folklore and mystique. One well-known tradition is that the grape must should be stirred with a stiff vine cane, which is then dropped into the jar before sealing. The grape must is left to ferment for at least six months or longer, before decanting.

Large stone jars are used because wood is a scarce commodity on the rocky isle. Jars are vital family treasures often centuries old, the particular flavour they impart being the pride of Pruncoty producers who vie with each other to be the best. Historically these rivalries have sometimes turned to violence, with clan wars leading to jars being smashed as a way of ruining a family's source of pride and income.

Other islands in the Spines produce a similar brandy which is considered inferior, and often sold as counterfeit pruncotiesh. Pruncotiesh is sometimes blended with other wines, or as a mixture of vintages, though the genuine brandy is distinguishable by official wax seals.