Beerenburg
The Frisian herbal bitter that was actually invented in Amsterdam. What beerenburg is, where the name comes from, how to drink it, and which glass to serve it in.
Frisian drink, Amsterdam invention
Beerenburg is jenever to which an extract of herbs has been added: juniper berries, gentian root, bay leaf, and a range of others, depending on the recipe. The result is a dark, bittersweet herbal liqueur that is almost always 30% ABV. It is inseparably linked to Friesland, and rightly so: it is made there and is drunk there most of all. But the herb blend originally comes from Amsterdam.
The name refers to Hendrik Beerenburg, an Amsterdam apothecary who sold an herbal mixture in the eighteenth century that you could steep in jenever yourself. Frisian skippers took it with them, and in Friesland it developed into what it is today. So it has nothing to do with a bear castle, even though that explanation is often given. You’ll encounter both spellings: beerenburg with a double e, and berenburg, as Sonnema spells it on its label.
In brief
Four bottles, all around 30%
The alcohol percentage is virtually the same everywhere. The difference lies in the number of herbs and how bitter the blend turns out.
Sonnema Berenburg
The best-known bottle of them all, from Bolsward. Bittersweet and herbal, with a smooth finish. The benchmark for this category.
Hooghoudt Beerenburg 74
From Groningen-based Hooghoudt, with seventy-four herbs in the blend. More complex and distinctly more bitter than most.
Hooghoudt Kalmoes
With calamus root and seventy-seven herbs. More herbal and slightly sweeter than the 74, with a distinctly warmer finish.
Underberg
Not beerenburg but its German counterpart, in 2 cl bottles. Considerably more bitter and much stronger; intended as a digestif.
Sonnema to start with, Hooghoudt 74 if you’re looking for more pronounced bitterness.
Bittersweet, with gentian and bay leaf
Herbs & juniper
Dried herbs, bay leaf and juniper, with an earthy note of gentian root underneath. Dark and instantly recognizable.
Bittersweet and warm
Sweet at first, bitter in the middle, with a warm spiciness that lingers. At 30% ABV, it is much softer than a German herbal bitter.
Long and bitter
The gentian lingers the longest and creates a dry, bitter finish. That is precisely why it works as a digestif.
Flavor profile of Sonnema Berenburg. Hooghoudt 74 scores higher on spiciness and lower on sweetness; Underberg scores more strongly across all points.
Three ways to drink beerenburg
In Friesland, it goes into the glass ice-cold, and it is hard to argue with that: the cold dampens the bitterness just enough.
Ice-cold from the freezer
3 to 4 cl in a small shot glass, straight from the freezer. At 30% ABV it does not freeze but becomes syrupy, and the bitter herbs go down much more gently.
Glass: shot glass →With cola
5 cl in a highball glass full of ice, topped with cola. The cola's sweetness balances the bitterness; it is a standard order at bars in the north of the country.
Glass: highball glass →As a digestif
4 cl at room temperature after a heavy meal. Herbal bitters were designed precisely for that, and the gentian does the work here. Served warm, you taste more of the blend.
About herbal bitters →Cocktails with beerenburg
Beerenburg is not a cocktail base but a digestif. It works surprisingly well as the bitter component in a stirred cocktail.
Kopstoot
Classic with young jenever, but just as common in the north with beerenburg.
Hot Toddy
Hot water, honey, lemon and clove. The spices fit seamlessly.
Negroni
Gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. A splash of beerenburg adds an earthy edge.
Make shots
The complete collection of shot recipes, from layered to ice-cold from the freezer.The right glass for beerenburg
A small shot glass that can handle the freezer, and a highball glass if you drink it with cola. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
The brands behind beerenburg
Two northern family businesses, and the German herbal bitter it is most often compared with.
Sonnema Berenburg
The Frisian brand from Bolsward that made the category popular, and the bottle found in almost every northern café.
About Sonnema Berenburg →Hooghoudt
Groningen-based family business with two beerenburgs: the 74-herb version and the calamus version with three more.
About Hooghoudt →Underberg
The German herbal bitter in a 2 cl bottle, at 44%. Not beerenburg, but it serves the same purpose after a meal.
About Underberg →Everything you still wanted to know about beerenburg
Is your question not listed? Check out our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
To the cocktail recipes →