Becherovka production. Becherovka. The history of the invention of the drink

Becherovka is a traditional herbal liqueur from the Czech Republic. Made exclusively from natural ingredients and based on the famous Karlovy Vary water, it has been delighting fans around the world for more than 200 years.

The drink has a unique rich taste and aroma, filled with a bouquet of 32 types of herbs and spices, a frequent guest of many cocktails.

What you need to know about Becherovka

History of Becherovka

1807: Using Dr. Frobrig's modified recipe, Jan Becher markets "English Bitter" to treat stomach ailments.

The medicine was so liked by the townsfolk that it led to some excitement in Jan's small shop.

1834: The founder's family expands the export of Becherovka, at that time the drink was sold in Szczecin, and a year later - in Vienna and Munich, and in 1838 the liquor appeared in Paris.

1866: Classic bottle design developed.

1867: Jan Becher moved to the new factory in Steinberki.

1871: Gustav Becher took over the family business (1840-1921) and ran it successfully for several decades until he sold his share to his half-brothers Rudolf and Michael.

1900: Becherovka was awarded great recognition, in addition to receiving the title of supplier of the imperial and royal court, the drink received honorary titles and medals at world exhibitions, including the Grand Prix in Paris

1904: As Becherovka's popularity skyrocketed, the illegal activity of its competitors also increased. The fight against plagiarism began in 1904 when Jan Rudolf Becher filed a lawsuit against those who tried to steal their ideas.

Even though they won, the battle had only just begun. Attempts to copy the labels, name and recipe of the liquor continued to become more common.

Fortunately for Becherovka today plagiarism can be prevented by modern methods of protection.

1907: Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Becherovka and developing a unique dark green bottle color.

1910: The management of the company passed to two brothers, Michael and Rudolf, Gustav's half-brothers, who had been passive partners since 1889. Together they expanded the Steinberki factory and focused on new markets.

Michael started selling bottles of Becherovka to take on the road, while Rudolf focused mainly on exports.

1917: Shortly before his death, Michael Becher divided his share of the company between his son Alfred and son-in-law Hans Klapka.

Alfred (1883-1940) modernized the company and production, built a plant in Dresden and expanded the range of Becherovka products.

However, he was wounded during World War I and died during World War II. After his death, Hedda's daughter took over the management of the company.

1922: The names "Becherovka" in the Czech and German versions, "Becher Bitter" were registered as a trademark.

Prior to this, Becherovka was sold as "English Bitter", "Karlsbader Bitter", "Karlsbader Becherbitter", "Johann Becher", etc.

1934: After the lifting of the dry ban, Becherovka conquered the USA.

1938: Start of sales of Becherovka in England.

1941: Woman at the head of the company.

The only woman and the last member of the Becher family who knew the cherished secret recipe for Becherovka was Hedda Becher (1914-2007).

Before taking up her post at the end of the war, she was forced to reveal a secret family recipe by order of the communist regime: an original recipe handwritten by Frobrig himself.

Despite this, Hedda began to develop an "identical" liquor in West Germany. This is how a product appeared, which, according to experts, is completely identical to the original recipe created in Karlovy Vary.

1972: Hedda Becher sells the company to a corporation called Anderberg, with whom she has agreed to share Becherovka from Karlovy Vary on the Western European market.

This happened when blue and red export labels appeared. Despite rumors, the liquor was identical in all bottles.

2001: After the war, when the Becher family was evicted and the company was nationalized, the state owned it for 57 years. The privatization of the company began in 1997, but was successfully completed only in 2001.

The current owner of the company (almost 100% of the shares) is the French company Pernod Ricard.

2003: Along with some marketing changes, the look of the brand was changed. English designer Martin Blunt, who was in charge of the changes, carefully crafted a new take on key moments in the brand's history.

2010: New plant in the Karlovy Vary region in Bochatice.

2019 – today: Becherovka has been exported to more than 40 countries, including the USA.

Views of Becherovka

How to drink Becherovka

Becherovka in its purest form

Since Becherovka was conceived as a self-sufficient digestif, it is preferable to use it in its pure form after a hearty dinner or at bedtime.

The drink is served in small glasses, chilled to a temperature of 5-7°C. This method of serving somewhat weakens the aroma of the liquor, but ennobles its taste.

The only acceptable snack in this case is a circle of orange, lightly sprinkled with cinnamon.

Becherovka in tea and coffee

For medicinal purposes only, a couple of tablespoons of classic Becherovka can be added to tea or coffee. Perhaps the taste of liquor will be almost imperceptible, but cheerfulness, increased resistance to colds and excellent digestion will be provided to you.

Becherovka with beer

The closest neighbors of the Czechs - the Slovaks - invented their own method of drinking Becherovka.

40-50 ml of a chilled drink are drunk in one gulp, after which a mug of light beer is used.

The imposition of hops and malt on the herbal base of the liquor allows you to get an incomparable taste effect, associated, however, with a rather strong intoxication.

Becherovka in cocktails

The traditional liqueur pairs very well with some juices. First of all, we are talking about currant, apple and cherry.

If we talk about KV 14, then orange juice goes well with it.

How to distinguish a fake Becherovka

Becherovka is a Czech alcoholic drink. The real recipe for making the tincture is a closely guarded secret. But, the drink can be made at home by adding spices to taste and other components to vodka. Becherovka will become original and subtly soft in taste. On its basis, delicious cocktails and healing infusions are prepared.

What is the drink made of and how is it made?

The composition of the liquor today is strictly classified - only two people know it. The drink includes 20 types of herbs, which are placed in a canvas bag and placed in a container with alcohol. They stand there for a long time and pull out. The finished drink is poured into portioned containers.

Experts who have tasted the tincture are sure that its composition necessarily includes coriander with cloves, chamomile, wormwood, honey and lemon. In the Czech Republic, orange peel, cardamom, cinnamon, anise and allspice are added to Becherovka.

Alcohol is obtained from water, which is collected from the sources of Karlovy Vary. That is why Czech-made tincture is considered the highest quality and most popular.

A mixture of herbs insist on alcohol for seven days, then the drink is poured into oak barrels. After that, water and sugar are added to the container. Each barrel has its own shape, thanks to which the alcohol fully comes into contact with the oak walls. Barrels are covered with lids for two to three months. After a while, the finished tincture is poured into portioned bottles.

It is important to keep the temperature and humidity at the same level when preparing the tincture.

What kind of drink is there?

For 200 years, the Becher family has produced several types of drink. Today you can buy such varieties of tinctures:

Becherovka Original is a classic drink with a strength of 38 percent. It has been produced since 1807. Until today, the recipe has not changed and is in strict secrecy;
Becherovka KV 14. This drink contains less sugar and red wine. It was launched in 1966. The tincture has a strength of 40 degrees. KV means that Becherovka was made on Karlovy Vary water;
Becherovka Cordial is an herbal liqueur that contains a whole range of herbs, lime blossom and white wine. The strength of the drink is 35 percent. The recipe has been used since 2008;
Becherovka Lemond has also been produced since 2008. The composition of the drink is enriched with citrus fruits. The fortress is only 20 percent;
Becherovka ICE & FIRE began to be produced only in 2014. The drink has a strength of 30 percent. It can be combined with ginger ale or tonic. The liqueur has a couple of flavors at once. At the first sip, a bitter herbal taste is felt with delicate aromas of citrus fruits. After a while, the taste changes to intense spicy pepper and a fresh, icy feel. Freshness remains in the mouth for a long time. The smell of the drink is pleasant, fresh, with menthol and citrus.

Only the first and second grades of Becherovka are sent for export. The rest can only be bought at the factory itself.

Preparing a drink at home

The original recipe for creating the tincture is a big secret. We only know that it consists of herbs that sprout in the territory of the Czech resort area. Homemade Becherovka tastes like a real drink.

The first option for creating a tincture

To prepare the tincture, take a liter of vodka or 45 percent alcohol, 150 grams of sugar, 250 milliliters of water, 10 grams of fresh and 5 grams of dried orange peel, two cardamom, 10 cloves, 8 black peppercorns, half a teaspoon of anise and one cinnamon stick.

Alcohol or vodka can be replaced with high-quality moonshine without smell and taste. It is important to take diluted alcohol as a basis, since it is he who is part of the original drink.

Becherovka recipe:

Chop the orange zest. The tincture is prepared only from its orange part. To prevent Becherovka from turning bitter, the white part of the orange should be removed;
Crush the cardamom cinnamon with a rolling pin;
Pour the spicy ingredients into a jar and pour vodka or alcohol on top. Stir and seal with a lid;
Place the container in a room in the dark. Shake it once every 24 hours. Let Becherovka brew for a week;
After a while, in a separate container, pour sugar with water. Heat over low heat until the bulk ingredient dissolves. Remove the white foam and cool;
Add the resulting syrup to the herbal tincture. Seal the container tightly and let stand for another four days.

After a while, Becherovka is filtered and bottled in portioned bottles. Before drinking it, cool it for a couple of days in the refrigerator or cellar.

The recipe allows you to make a light brown drink with a pleasant aroma and taste. Notes of cinnamon, cardamom and anise will be well felt in the drink. Snacking a herbal drink is recommended with orange slices sprinkled with cinnamon.

The second option for preparing a tincture

Mix half a liter of water with half a liter of alcohol. Add spices to taste and let it brew for a week. Then boil the syrup: take a glass of water for 120 grams of sugar. Add the finished syrup to the filtered infusion. Let the drink stand for another seven days to even out the taste.

After a while, try the drink. If its taste is too harsh, add some water. If you do not use it in its pure form, you do not need to dilute it. Becherovka can be diluted with Schweppes, coffee and tea before use.

How is the drink drunk?

Becherovka is poured into cognac glasses. It is served before dinner or late in the evening during a conversation. As an appetizer, orange slices with cinnamon are offered. Thanks to this combination, guests can enjoy the taste and aroma of the drink's herbs. Drinking tincture is recommended even to relieve fatigue at the end of a busy day.

Slovak people drink Becherovka with beer. 40 grams of tincture is poured into a glass and cooled. Then it is drunk in one gulp and washed down with light quality beer.

In order to treat any diseases, Becherovka is added to tea or coffee. You can drink it every day if you do not abuse the daily dosage. If you decide to improve the functioning of the digestive system, consult your doctor before drinking the tincture.

Since Becherovka is a digestive drink, it should only be drunk after meals. Liquor should be enjoyed in small sips in order to enjoy its unique taste and aroma for as long as possible. The drink has a sweet taste, it is well felt that it contains bitter ingredients.

If you drink the tincture warm, it will be much tougher.

Becherovka is often used in small doses to improve digestion, tone up and strengthen the immune system.

Cocktails with tincture

The sharp taste and aroma of a pure drink is not to everyone's liking, so cocktails are often made from it.

The recipe for the Concrete cocktail:

Mix one part of the tincture with one part of the tonic;
Add ice to the cocktail and garnish with a lime or lemon.

In addition, the tincture can be diluted with apple or currant juice. Get an unusually delicious cocktail.

The recipe for the Red Moon cocktail:

Fill glasses with ice;
Add 40 milliliters of tincture and 10 milliliters of currant juice to them;
Top up with soda water to the very top;
Garnish with orange slices.

In addition to the described cocktails, Becherovka is often mixed with other alcoholic beverages. But, with other alcohol, the drink should be used very carefully, since after drinking it, a severe hangover occurs and the liver suffers greatly.

Blue Ocean Cocktail Recipe:

Dilute 40 milliliters of tincture with 100 milliliters of carbonated mineral water;
Add grape juice (50 milliliters) and Curacao liqueur (20 milliliters) to the drink;
Garnish the cocktail with ice, orange slices and mint sprigs.

You can make a cocktail with cherries. To do this, mix 40 milliliters of tincture with grapefruit juice. Add ice and cherries. You will get a delicious aromatic cherry liqueur.

To create a punch, mix 40 ml of tincture with lemon juice (10 ml), orange juice (10 ml), sugar syrup (20 ml) and water (90 ml). After mixing the drink well, warm it up and pour into glasses. Garnish with lemon and lime wedges.

Cocktail "Oasis". Place a sliced lime in the bottom of the glass. Sprinkle sugar on top and press down to release the juice. Then pour ice on top and add 50 milliliters of becherovka. Mix the cocktail well and enjoy its taste and aroma.

Cocktail "Tear of Raquel". Pour 50 milliliters of becherovka into a glass with the first layer. The second layer is 50 milliliters of Triple Sec liqueur. Ignite the top layer before serving. The spectacle will be beautiful, and the cocktail is extraordinarily tasty.

Cocktail «Magic Sunset». First, pour 40 milliliters of becherovka into glasses, then 15 milliliters of orange juice and 10 milliliters of grenadine. You don't need to mix. Be sure to garnish cocktails with orange slices or strawberry slices.

A cocktail using Becherovka will cool you down in summer and warm you up in winter.

How do people respond to the tincture?

Everyone likes Becherovka tincture. Reviews about the drink are positive if you drink it wisely. Liquor is considered healing, so it is added in a teaspoon to coffee or tea. Cocktails are also made from it, adding other drinks, ice and spices.

The drink goes especially well with various tonics and juices. Reviews of people also confirm the fact that it can be consumed both cold and hot.

Now you know what Becherovka tincture is. What types of it are, as well as how it can be prepared at home. Use liquor to create various cocktails and please yourself and your friends with delicious drinks.

Liquor with a complex composition Becherovka is one of the most famous and truly legendary Czech drinks. Invented by the pharmacist Josef Becher, this tincture has evolved from a common drug over the long history of its existence into the most recognizable herbal liqueur in the world. The strength of the drink is 38 degrees, its color has an unusual greenish-yellow tint and a bitter aftertaste with the aroma of herbs and citrus fruits.

In the article:

Becherovka - a bit of history

In 1805, two friends, representatives of the pharmaceutical business, Josef Becher and Dr. Frobrig met on vacation in Karlovy Vary. Becher owned one of the best pharmacies in the city, and Dr. Frobrig was a practicing physician. This meeting was marked by an experiment on the invention of a new herbal tincture for the treatment of the gastrointestinal tract. Some time after the departure of a friend, Josef finally developed and put into production an alcohol-containing tincture, which he called Carlsbad English Bitter.

Carlsbad English Bitter

Becherovka tincture was originally sold in pharmacies as an auxiliary drug. But, after the transfer of rights to the production of tincture to his son Johann in 1841, sales increased due to equipment upgrades and a change in packaging. 10 years before the end of the 19th century, the grandson of the famous pharmacist, Gustave Becher, improved the appearance of the drink, completed the production buildings and officially registered the Becherovka trademark.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the tincture began to be in demand outside the Czech Republic. It began to be actively bought by enterprises engaged in the distribution of alcoholic beverages. In particular, among the fans of the tincture was the royal court of the Emperor of Austria.

Composition of Becherovka

The Becher family carefully guards the recipe for making the tincture. To date, it is known that the composition of the herbal mixture includes at least twenty varieties of herbs growing in the Czech Republic and beyond. Experienced tasters were able to identify some ingredients, including: coriander, chamomile flowers, wormwood, cloves, honey, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, as well as orange and lemon zest.

The original taste of the drink gives a unique composition of water. In Karlovy Vary, there are 12 different sources of mineral water, which is an effective remedy for the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Proportions and composition are kept in the strictest confidence.

According to one of the legends, an employee of the enterprise found out the composition of the drink and took it abroad. In the process of mixing the components and further tincture, the liquor was very different from the original. Many then thought that the main secret of the branded liqueur was water from Karlovy Vary. Therefore, no one in the world has yet been able to repeat the success of the drink.

The production process consists of mixing various herbs and spices, placing them in canvas bags and immersing them in pure alcohol. Containers with alcohol are heated on special equipment to a certain temperature, after which they are left in a warm place to cool. The process takes seven days, after which the finished concentrate is poured into large oak barrels, sugar, mineral water and alcohol are added, covered with lids and the drink is infused for 2-3 months in a cool room. The next step is filtration, the cooling process and the last purification from unwanted impurities.

Liquor is famous for being a natural tincture without the addition of preservatives, dyes, flavors and stabilizers.

It is customary to pour the infusion into branded green glass bottles. The design of the label and the flattened shape of the bottle have become a recognizable brand since the registration of the trademark.

On sale you can find gift sets:

small bottles of 50 milliliters, the labels of which are designed in retro style;
packed in a cardboard box, a bottle with a white porcelain cup or several small glasses;
a set of all five varieties of Becherovka. It is quite expensive, but such a gift will certainly please lovers and will be a worthy decoration of any bar.

Views of Becherovka

Today, five varieties of liquor are produced under the Becherovka trademark. Among them:

Becherovka Original (Original)

Becherovka Original

The classic recipe of 1807, which won its place of honor among. The strength of the drink is 38 degrees.

Becherovka Cardinal (Cardinal)

Becherovka Cardinal

Premium tincture with a slightly lower degree of 35 degrees. Distinguished by honey flavor, lime-colored drink and white wine content. It is bottled in milky brown bottles. It is a favorite delicacy of the fair sex. Used as a dessert.

Becherovka Lemond (Lemon)

Becherovka Lemond

Low alcohol drink (strength reaches only 20 degrees). It has a sweet taste with minty and citrus notes. The color of the bottle is white, which matches perfectly with the light golden tint of the liqueur. The label is made in yellow and blue colors.

KV-14

Becherovka KV-14

Strong herbal infusion with a high alcohol content (40 degrees). It contains absolutely no sugar, making it suitable for people with diabetes. Red wine, which is part of the liqueur, gives the drink a noble burgundy hue. The bottle is decorated in red and black colors. Sold only in specialized stores and included in the gift set.

Ice and fire

Becherovka Ice & Fire

The recipe was developed in 2014 specifically for making cocktails. It is medium in strength (30 degrees). Ideal with tonic or ginger ale. It is distinguished by a variety of tastes, alternately replacing each other up to a chilling feeling as an aftertaste. Externally, the bottle is made of black glass. The label is made in a modern style, combining cool blue and hot yellow colors.

At the moment, Becherovka is popular among lovers of strong drinks, and occupies a worthy place in the arsenal of bartenders. Its 200-year history allows us to talk about the quality of the tincture. The Czechs themselves called the liquor "Living Drink" due to its healing properties.

Becherovka is a Czech alcoholic drink, the original name is Becherovka. The real recipe for making the tincture is a closely guarded secret. But, the drink can be made at home by adding spices to taste and other components to vodka. Becherovka will become original and subtly soft in taste. On its basis, delicious cocktails and healing infusions are prepared.

What is the drink made of and how is it made?

Alcohol is obtained from water, which is collected from the sources of Karlovy Vary. That is why Czech-made tincture is considered the highest quality and most popular.

It is important to keep the temperature and humidity at the same level when preparing the tincture.

What kind of drink is there?

For 200 years, the Becher family has produced several types of drink. Today you can buy such varieties of tinctures:

Becherovka Original is a classic drink with a strength of 38 percent. It has been produced since 1807. Until today, the recipe has not changed and is in strict secrecy;
Becherovka KV 14. This drink contains less sugar and red wine. It was launched in 1966. The tincture has a strength of 40 degrees. KV means that Becherovka was made on Karlovy Vary water;
Becherovka Cordial is an herbal liqueur that contains a whole range of herbs, lime blossom and white wine. The strength of the drink is 35 percent. The recipe has been used since 2008;
Becherovka Lemond has also been produced since 2008. The composition of the drink is enriched with citrus fruits. The fortress is only 20 percent;
Becherovka ICE & FIRE began to be produced only in 2014. The drink has a strength of 30 percent. It can be combined with ginger ale or tonic. The liqueur has a couple of flavors at once. At the first sip, a bitter herbal taste is felt with delicate aromas of citrus fruits. After a while, the taste changes to intense spicy pepper and a fresh, icy feel. Freshness remains in the mouth for a long time. The smell of the drink is pleasant, fresh, with menthol and citrus.

Only the first and second grades of Becherovka are sent for export. The rest can only be bought at the factory itself.

Becherovka recipe at home

The original recipe for creating the tincture is a big secret. We only know that it consists of herbs that sprout in the territory of the Czech resort area. Homemade Becherovka just tastes like a real drink.

The first option for creating a tincture

To prepare the tincture, take a liter of vodka or 45 percent alcohol, 150 gr. sugar, 250 milliliters of water, 10 gr. fresh and 5 gr. dried orange peel, two cardamom, 10 cloves, 8 black peppercorns, half a teaspoon of anise and one cinnamon stick.

Alcohol or vodka can be replaced with high-quality moonshine without smell and taste. It is important to take diluted alcohol as a basis, since it is he who is part of the original drink.

Becherovka recipe:

Chop the orange zest. The tincture is prepared only from its orange part. To prevent Becherovka from turning bitter, the white part of the orange should be removed;
Crush the cardamom cinnamon with a rolling pin;
Pour the spicy ingredients into a jar and pour vodka or alcohol on top. Stir and seal with a lid;
Place the container in a room in the dark. Shake it once every 24 hours. Let Becherovka brew for a week;
After a while, in a separate container, pour sugar with water. Heat over low heat until the bulk ingredient dissolves. Remove the white foam and cool;
Add the resulting syrup to the herbal tincture. Seal the container tightly and let stand for another four days.

After a while, Becherovka is filtered and bottled in portioned bottles. Before drinking it, cool it for a couple of days in the refrigerator or cellar.

The second option for preparing a tincture

Mix 0.5 l. water with 0.5 l. alcohol. Add spices to taste and let it brew for a week. Then boil the syrup: take a glass of water for 120 grams of sugar. Add the finished syrup to the filtered infusion. Let the drink stand for another seven days to even out the taste.

How to drink a drink?

Slovak people drink Becherovka with beer. 40 grams of tincture is poured into a glass and cooled. Then it is drunk in one gulp and washed down with light quality beer.

If you drink the tincture warm, it will be much tougher.

Becherovka is often used in small doses to improve digestion, tone up and strengthen the immune system.

Cocktails with tincture

The sharp taste and aroma of a pure drink is not to everyone's liking, so cocktails are often made from it.

The recipe for the Concrete cocktail:

Mix one part of the tincture with one part of the tonic;
Add ice to the cocktail and garnish with a lime or lemon.

In addition, the tincture can be diluted with apple or currant juice. Get an unusually delicious cocktail.

The recipe for the Red Moon cocktail:

Fill glasses with ice;
Add 40 ml to them. tinctures and 10 ml. currant juice;
Top up with soda water to the very top;
Garnish with orange slices.

Blue Ocean Cocktail Recipe:

Dilute 40 ml. tinctures with 100 milliliters of carbonated mineral water;
Add grape juice (50 ml) and Curacao liqueur (20 ml) to the drink;
Garnish the cocktail with ice, orange slices and mint sprigs.

You can make a cocktail with cherries. To do this, mix 40 ml. tincture with grapefruit juice. Add ice and cherries. You will get a delicious aromatic cherry liqueur.

To create a punch, mix 40 ml. tinctures with lemon juice (10 ml.), orange juice (10 ml.), sugar syrup (20 ml.) and water (90 ml.). After mixing the drink well, warm it up and pour into glasses. Garnish with lemon and lime wedges.

Cocktail "Oasis". Place a sliced lime in the bottom of the glass. Sprinkle sugar on top and press down to release the juice. Then pour ice on top and add 50 ml. Becherovka. Mix the cocktail well and enjoy its taste and aroma.

Cocktail "Tear of Raquel". Pour the first layer into a glass of 50 ml. Becherovka. The second layer is 50 ml. Triple Sec liqueur. Ignite the top layer before serving. The spectacle will be beautiful, and the cocktail is extraordinarily tasty.

Cocktail «Magic Sunset». First, pour 40 ml into glasses. Becherovka, then 15 ml. orange juice and 10 ml. grenadine. You don't need to mix. Be sure to garnish cocktails with orange slices or strawberry slices.

A cocktail using Becherovka will cool you down in summer and warm you up in winter.

How do people respond to the tincture?

The drink goes especially well with various tonics and juices. Reviews of people also confirm the fact that it can be consumed both cold and hot.

Prepared only on Karlovy Vary water. Therefore, the people received another name "Karlovy Vary Spring No. 13".

Becherovka - Czech liqueur, 38% alcohol. Produced in Karlovy Vary. It is prepared from local medicinal herbs according to a technology that has not changed since 1807. It was originally used as a stomach medicine.

Recipe

A mixture of 20 herbs is placed in a canvas bag and dipped in alcohol. After a week of infusion, the extract is sweetened, diluted with water and aged for 3 months in special oak barrels.

Composition of Becherovka

The exact recipe and proportions are unknown. But it is clear that it contains:

Cardamom
Cinnamon
Carnation
Allspice
orange zest

There is a legend that someone managed to bring the recipe for this drink from the Czech Republic. But when they tried to reproduce it, the liqueur turned out to be completely different from the original. Therefore, many believe that it is Karlovy Vary water that determines the taste of this tincture.

Medicinal properties

Becherovka is drunk to improve digestion and increase appetite. For this, it is taken 20 ml before meals. Doctors are skeptical about the miraculous properties of the drink and doubt the effectiveness of its effect on the digestive organs. However, drinking in moderation has never hurt anyone.

How to drink

Served in small glasses before dinner. Drink as an independent drink, or add to tea or coffee.

Cocktails with Becherovka deserve special attention. The most popular is with tonic: the drink is mixed in a ratio of 1: 2 (2 parts of tonic). Despite this, the cocktail is quite strong, for which it received its popular nickname "Concrete".

The Czechs themselves sin because they like to mix it with Czech beer. Ruff lovers can take note, the rest are not recommended to practice such "mixes".

Kinds

In addition to the traditional tincture, other varieties began to appear, these are:

Becherovka Cordial (Cardinal) - with the addition of linden honey, 35% alcohol.
Becherovka Lemond (lemon becherovka) - a brighter citrus flavor. Less strong - 20%.
Becherovka KV - a mixture of traditional liqueur with red wine. Fortress about 40%.

History of creation

The authorship belongs to the pharmacist Josef Becher. Together with their colleague, the British physician Mr. Frobering, they tried to develop new medicines based on various medicinal herbs and tinctures.

Leaving the Czech Republic, a British doctor instructed him to refine his recipe based on local plants. Becher managed to bring the matter to an end, and since 1807 the elixir appeared on the shelves of his pharmacy. "Carlsbad English Bitter" is its first name. Sold as a medicine in the form of drops.

Until 1841, Becherovka was known only to the clients of his pharmacy. But after he betrayed her recipe to his son, Johann opened a small distillery and by 1841 had established the production of this drink. He commissioned the design of bottles and labels to his brother-in-law Karl Laub. Since then, the appearance of the bottle has never changed again.

Gradually Becherovka gained popularity. At the beginning of the 20th century, the company was already fighting off numerous attacks by bootleggers who were desperately trying to reproduce the recipe for this liquor.

All this time, the recipe was kept secret and passed down from father to son. During World War II, the Becherovka recipe was buried in the family garden. In 1945, it was discovered by the Czech authorities, and since then the liquor has become the public domain of the country.