Underberg is a
digestif bitter
Bitter may refer to:
Common uses
* Resentment, negative emotion or attitude, similar to being jaded, cynical or otherwise negatively affected by experience
* Bitter (taste), one of the five basic tastes
Books
* '' Bitter (novel)'', a 2022 nove ...
produced at
Rheinberg
Rheinberg () is a town in the Wesel (district), district of Wesel, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, approx. north of Moers and south of Wesel.
It comprises the municipal districts of Rheinberg, B ...
in Germany by Underberg AG. It is made from aromatic herbs from 43 countries that undergo inspections and are formulated based on a secret recipe of the Underberg family, whose members are personally responsible for the production of the drink. Underberg is one of the most widespread
kräuterlikörs on the market. Underberg contains 1.3 percent herbal extract by weight, which includes aromatic, digestion-stimulating, relaxing and calming active substances, and naturally occurring
vitamin B1
Thiamine, also known as thiamin and vitamin B1, is a vitamin, an essential micronutrient, that cannot be made in the body. It is found in food and commercially synthesized to be a dietary supplement or medication. Phosphorylated forms of thia ...
. The drink matures in Slovenian oak barrels for several months to enhance the taste. Underberg is classified under "food and drinks: oils, herbs and spices" in the United States and can be sold without any sort of liquor license.
History
On June 17, 1846, Hubert Underberg founded the company H. Underberg-Albrecht in Rheinberg in Germany, starting the manufacture and sale of Underberg, a specialty made with aromatic herbs. In 1884, Hubert Underberg began to export his product to Brazil. In 1932, the grandson of the founder, Dr. Paul Underberg moved to Brazil and began to manufacture the "Underberg do Brasil". This product made in the country with Brazilian herbs has become, over the decades, an original Brazilian specialty and henceforth bears the name Brasilberg from the house "Underberg do Brasil".
Underberg is based on a secret and proprietary recipe, guarded by the Underberg family since the company was founded by Hubert Underberg-Albrecht in 1846.
The herbs are
distilled using a process called ''semper idem'' (or "always the same"). The extracts are then matured for months in barrels made of Slovenian
oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
.
Production ceased in 1939 due to lack of raw materials and was restarted in December 1949. The drink is usually associated with its portion-sized 20
ml bottle, designed in 1949 by Emil Underberg, grandson of the founder. The mini-bottle is protected by a straw paper sleeve, and the embossed Underberg label is glued on. All of its elements, including shape of the bottle, colour, packaging and the Underberg name are
trademark
A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from others ...
ed and
copyright
A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, education ...
ed.
Notable fans of Underberg in the modern era include
MF Doom
Daniel Dumile ( ; July 13, 1971October 31, 2020), best known by his stage name MF Doom or simply Doom (both stylized in all caps), was a British-American rapper and record producer. Noted for his intricate wordplay, signature metal mask, and ...
,
Amon Amarth,
Chumlee
Austin Lee Russell (born September 8, 1982), better known by his stage name Chumlee, is an American businessman and reality television personality, best known for his appearances on the History Channel television show ''Pawn Stars'', which depi ...
and Thomas Lyons. Frozen pizza review icon Paul Theisen also promotes the bitters in his internet musings.
To promote the brand, the Underberg company rewards branded
merchandise to its users after collecting a certain number of bottlecaps.
Gallery
File:Underberg.jpg, The 20 ml bottle, wrapped in paper
File:Underberg 12x20ml.jpg, A metal case containing 12 little bottles of Underberg – 2007 Edition (Theme: Greece)
File:Brasilberg.jpg, Big Brasilberg bottle, a variety of Underberg sold in Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
File:Underberg_4804613947_42da6d6764_t.jpg, Box with the mini bottles
See also
*
Becherovka
Becherovka (), formerly Karlsbader Becherbitter, is a herbal bitters, often drunk as a digestif. It is produced in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic by the Jan Becher company. The brand is owned by Pernod Ricard. It is made from a secret recip ...
*
Kräuterlikör
Kräuterlikör (herbal liqueur or spiced liqueur, also called "half-bitters") is a type of liqueur that is flavored with herbs or spices and traditionally drunk neat as a digestif, very close to the concept of an italian '' amaro''.
The history ...
*
Unicum
Unicum () is a Hungarian herbal liqueur or bitters, drunk as a digestif and apéritif. The liqueur was created in 1790 and is today produced by Zwack according to a secret formula of more than forty herbs; the drink is aged in oak casks. Du ...
References
External links
*
German distilled drinks
Bitters
Herbal liqueurs
German brands
Purveyors to the Imperial and Royal Court
Companies based in North Rhine-Westphalia