Herbal bitters
The little glass that comes to the table after a meal. Dark and herbal, sweet at first and then bitter. Here you can read what herbal bitters are, what styles there are, how much alcohol they contain, what they taste like, and how to drink them. And which glass to choose.
The best-known herbal bitters
Four bottles you’ll see in almost every bar. From sweet and ice-cold to completely dry.
Jägermeister
Made in Wolfenbüttel since 1934. It contains 56 herbs, roots, blossoms, and spices, and rests for a year in oak barrels. The sweetest of the four, and best straight from the freezer.
About Jägermeister →Underberg
Herbs from 43 countries, wrapped in that brown paper since 1846. No sugar, intensely bitter, and meant to be enjoyed as a single serving after a meal.
About Underberg →Fernet-Branca
Amaro from Milan, made since 1845, with more than 27 herbs. It tastes of menthol and is very bitter. Behind the bar, a shot of Fernet is the drink you share with your colleagues.
About Fernet-Branca →
Schrobbelèr
Herbal liqueur from Brabant with 43 herbs, made since 1965. Smooth and sweet, and at 21.5%, the lightest of the four. A carnival favorite.
About Schrobbelèr →Every herbal bitter, listed by brand
5 brands and 2 flavors, each with its own page about taste, cocktails, and the right glass.
Herbs, roots, and peels in distilled spirits
Herbal bitter is a spirit made from distilled alcohol and flavored with herbs, roots, and peels. Think gentian root, anise, ginger, licorice, saffron, bay leaf, and citrus peel. Some recipes use a handful of ingredients, others well over fifty, and almost every brand keeps its recipe secret. What you get in the glass is dark and spicy. You taste sweetness first, followed by the bitterness of the roots. Most bottles are between 20 and 45% alcohol. The sweeter the bottle, the lower the alcohol percentage tends to be. The dry, genuinely bitter bottles are at the higher end.
They’re made in much the same way everywhere. The herbs steep in alcohol for weeks or months; sometimes the mixture is distilled, then often left to rest in oak barrels for a while. The amount of sugar added at the end determines what the bottle is called. Under the law, more than 100 grams of sugar per liter makes it a liqueur. That’s why Jägermeister is officially a Kräuterlikör, while Underberg, with no added sugar, is simply a bitter. They’re still shelved next to each other in stores, because you drink them the same way.
And that’s almost always after a meal, served in a small glass of two to four centiliters. Bitter compounds such as gentian get digestion going. That’s why these drinks were originally created as medicine, and later remained on the table as digestifs. The serving temperature depends on the brand. A sweeter herbal bitter tastes best ice-cold from the freezer, because the cold tones down the sweetness. A dry Italian or German bitter, on the other hand, is served at room temperature. That brings out the herbs.
In brief
Five styles, from smooth and sweet to completely dry
Every country has its own version. The difference lies mainly in the sugar content and how bitter the makers dare to go. One bottle in this lineup isn’t for drinking; you use it drop by drop.
German herbal liqueur
The sweeter side. Lots of herbs, aged for a year in oak, and enough sugar to temper the bitterness. Dark and warming, and the best-known of them all. It should come ice-cold from the freezer.
Digestive bitter
Dry and strong, with no added sugar, and meant to be enjoyed after a heavy meal. Underberg sells it only in 2 cl servings. More isn’t the idea.
Italian amaro
The Italian branch, ranging from mildly bitter to extremely bitter. Fernet-Branca is at the extreme end. It tastes of menthol and medicine and is barely sweet. In Argentina, they drink it with cola.
Dutch herbal bitter
Beerenburg made with Dutch gin from the north and Schrobbelèr from Tilburg. Lower in alcohol, smoother and sweeter than the German and Italian bottles. Almost always served ice-cold.
Cocktail bitters
Not a drink, but a flavoring. A concentrated tincture of gentian and spices, a few drops of which add depth to a cocktail. It’s far too sharp to drink on its own.
Almost every country makes its own herbal bitter, and on the same shelf you’ll find bittersweet Italian aperitifs.
Bittersweet and spicy, with warmth
Herbs & roots
You smell dried herbs, roots, and baking spices such as anise, ginger, cloves, and licorice. Underneath is the earthy scent of gentian. Sweeter brands also have notes of caramel.
Bittersweet and full-bodied
Usually sweet and syrupy at first, then the bitterness spreads across your tongue. The less sugar, the sooner that bitterness comes through. With a dry digestif bitter, you taste it right away, with no sweetness at all.
Long and warm, with a cool edge
The herbs linger for minutes, often with a hint of menthol that feels cooling. That's exactly why a small glass after a heavy meal feels so pleasant.
This is a general picture of the category as a whole. Jägermeister and Schrobbelèr rank higher in sweetness. Underberg and Fernet-Branca score around 1 for sweetness and 4 for strength.
Three ways to drink herbal liqueur
You always pour a small serving; two to four centiliters is enough. Only the temperature varies, and that depends on the sugar in the bottle.
Ice-cold as a shot
Put the bottle in the freezer for a few hours and pour 2 to 4 cl into a chilled shot glass. At 35%, it won't freeze. The drink will just get thicker and much less sweet. That's how you drink Jägermeister, and that's how they serve Schrobbelèr in Brabant, too.
The right glass →As a digestif after a meal
A dry herbal liqueur should not be chilled in the freezer. Pour 2 to 4 cl at room temperature into a small stemmed glass and let it sit for a moment. That's when the herbs really open up. Underberg is served as a single 2 cl portion, and Fernet-Branca in a shot glass.
About Underberg →With cola or tonic
Pour 4 cl of herbal liqueur with about 12 cl of ice-cold cola into an ice-filled highball glass and add a slice of orange. In Argentina, with Fernet-Branca, it's called a Fernandito. In Friesland, they do the same with Beerenburg. It also works with tonic, which keeps it drier.
About Beerenburg →The best-known cocktails with herbal liqueur
A herbal liqueur that you also drink neat goes into a cocktail in a measure of 1 to 2 cl. For cocktail bitters like Angostura, you only use a few dashes. You'll find both below.
Jägerbomb
A shot of Jägermeister dropped into a glass of energy drink. Fast, sweet, and loud.
Hanky Panky
Gin and sweet vermouth with a splash of Fernet-Branca, adding a spicy edge.
Old Fashioned
Whiskey, sugar, and a few dashes of Angostura over one large ice cube.
Manhattan
Whiskey and sweet vermouth, stirred with bitters and poured ice-cold.The right glass for herbal bitters
A small glass is the rule. A shot glass if the bottle comes straight from the freezer, or a stemmed cordial glass as a digestif. If you’re adding cola or making a cocktail, use a larger glass. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
What people often ask us about herbal bitters
Can’t find your question here? Browse our cocktail recipes or send us a message.
To the cocktail recipes →What is the alcohol percentage of herbal bitters?
What’s the difference between herbal bitters and cocktail bitters?
What’s the difference between herbal bitters and herbal liqueur?
Is Beerenburg also an herbal bitter?
Why drink herbal bitters after a meal?
Should herbal bitters go in the freezer?
Buy herbal bitters
Want the bottle delivered right away? Order herbal bitters online from Gall & Gall. Gall & Gall has 51, including 12 on sale.
Prices as of November 5, 2026, as reported by Gall & Gall. You can check the current price and stock at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy anything through these links; it won't cost you anything extra. No 18, no alcohol.
