Ingredients
Herbs sourced from 43 countries, macerated in a neutral grain spirit by a process the family calls Semper Idem, then matured for months in Slovenian oak. The recipe has never been published.
- ✦Gentian root
- ✦Angelica root
- ✦Bitter orange peel
- ✦Cinchona bark
- ✦Cardamom
- ✦Undisclosed herbs from 43 countries
History of the Brand
Hubert Underberg founded the business in Rheinberg in 1846, on his wedding day, and the company remains in family hands six generations later.
The 20ml single-serve bottle in straw paper arrived in 1949 and solved a distribution problem: it guaranteed the customer got the real thing, unadulterated.
The wrapper is functional as well as iconic — it protects the herbal infusion from light.
The house line, 'to feel bright and alert', frames it as post-meal medicine rather than a party shot.
Tasting Characteristics
Gentian, bitter orange, dried root and camphor.
Bracing and dry with concentrated root bitterness and a warming spirit heat.
Long, drying, distinctly medicinal.
Flavor meter
How to serve it
- 01Straight from the bottle at room temperature, in one go, after a heavy meal.
- 02Poured into a small glass if you want to actually smell it.
- 03As a bracing float on a stirred drink.
- 04Dashed into a Bloody Mary in place of bitters.
Where to Get It
Globally distributed, usually in 3-packs or 12-packs of single-serve bottles.
Liquor stores
Often near the register in multi-packs.
Supermarkets
Common across Germany and much of Europe.
Online retailers
Cheapest by the carton.
Where to buy Underberg
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Underberg FAQ
Why is Underberg sold in tiny bottles?
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The 20ml single serve, introduced in 1949, guarantees an unadulterated portion and matches the intended one-shot digestif dose.
Why the paper wrapper?
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It protects the herbal infusion from light — and it has become the brand's signature.
Is Underberg a bitters or a liqueur?
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It is a herbal digestif bitter at 44% ABV, drier and far less sweet than most liqueurs.