What is a herbal liqueur?

A liqueur must contain at least 15 percent alcohol by volume and, as a rule, at least 100 grams of sweeteners per liter, expressed as invert sugar.

Those two requirements are set out in category 33 of Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/787. The regulation also prescribes the raw material: ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, a distillate of agricultural origin, one or more spirit drinks or a combination thereof, sweetened and with the addition of one or more flavourings, agricultural products or foodstuffs.

For two types the sugar threshold is lower. Liqueurs flavoured exclusively with gentian, a comparable plant or with wormwood need 80 grams per litre. Cherry liqueur and sour cherry liqueur whose ethyl alcohol consists exclusively of cherry distillate need 70 grams per litre. In all other cases 100 grams per litre applies.

The difference lies in the sugar: a bitter does not have to reach a minimum sugar content, a liqueur does.

Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/787 has its own category for bitter, number 30: a spirit drink with a predominantly bitter taste, made by flavoring ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin or a distillate of agricultural origin with flavorings or flavoring preparations. The minimum there is also 15 percent by volume, but a sugar threshold is lacking. A drink with bittering agents and little sugar can therefore be called bitter and not liqueur.

Berenburg shows how strictly that works. That drink has category 43 in Annex I, with at least 30 percent alcohol by volume and at most 20 grams of sweeteners per litre. That is too little sweetness for the designation liqueur. The Italian trade term amaro does not occur in Annex I; what is called amaro in Italy appears on the label as bitter or as liqueur, depending on the composition.

The herbs first go into alcohol, after which the aromatic mixture is composed with alcohol, water and sweetener until the drink meets the requirements for liqueur.

Regulation (EU) 2019/787 names five ways of flavouring in Article 4, point 12: addition, infusion, maceration, alcoholic fermentation, or distillation of alcohol in the presence of the flavourings or flavouring foods. Maceration is the best known: herbs, roots, peels or seeds steep in alcohol for weeks. Distillation yields a clearer, sharper aroma.

Then comes compounding. The base is ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, a distillate or an existing spirit drink; sweetening is not a matter of taste but a requirement, because without the 100 grams of sweeteners per litre the product may not be called a liqueur. Which herbs go in, and in what proportion, is up to the producer; the regulation sets no number or list for that.

No. Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/787 lists 44 categories of spirit drinks and none of them is called herbal liqueur; the designation liqueur is defined, however.

Herbal liqueur is therefore a common description without its own legal definition. The legal designation on the label is liqueur, optionally with a permitted compound term. In its guidelines of 18 February 2022, the European Commission explained that a compound term with the word liqueur may replace the legal designation, as long as the end product meets the requirements of category 33.

In the Netherlands, national rules are added to that. The Warenwetbesluit Gereserveerde aanduidingen refers to Regulation (EU) 2019/787 and also reserves its own names, including advocaat and likorette. No such reservation exists for herbal liqueur.

Herbal liqueur is served neat in a small glass, chilled or over ice, and is traditionally drunk after a meal; it is also a common ingredient in cocktails.

Because the alcohol content of liqueur starts at a minimum of 15 percent by volume and with many herbal liqueurs is above that, the portions are small. A chilled bottle gives a thicker, more syrupy liquid and a less pronounced herbal nose; at room temperature the bitter and resinous notes come out more strongly.

Wij verkopen geen alcohol aan personen onder de 18 jaar. De Alcoholwet verbiedt in artikel 20 het bedrijfsmatig verstrekken van alcoholhoudende drank aan iemand van wie niet is vastgesteld dat die 18 jaar is. NIX18.

’t Bockje has 786 different liqueurs in stock in the shop on the Brink in Bathmen, of which 42 are on the shelf as herbal liqueur, from nine countries.

The largest types of liqueur on the shelf are fruit liqueur (87 bottles), lemon liqueur (37), cream liqueur (36) and aniseed liqueur (33). Herbal liqueur is thereby a medium-sized group spread over many countries, from Dutch and German house recipes to Italian and French bottles.

Anyone who wants to know whether a particular bottle is herbal liqueur or bitter can read the label: the legal name must be on it. If you can't work it out, we will check it with you in the shop.