Badel Pelinkovac Gorki (Gift Box)

Badel Pelinkovac Gorki, here in gift box form, is the best known Pelinkovac in Croatia, the bittersweet wormwood herbal liqueur made by Badel 1862, the house working since 1862. Wormwood gives it its bittersweet structure, with oak, mint, anise, gentian and liquorice rounding out a blend of mountain herbs and spices, bottled at 31% in the traditional style.

The nose is spicy and herbal, the palate aromatic with notes of spices and herbs, the finish long and spicy. As a herbal liqueur rather than an amaro, it works behind the bar as a bitter herbal backbone, cutting sweetness and lengthening a drink, a bar spoon adding wormwood depth to a dark, spirit forward serve. The Croatian way is neat on ice, garnished with a fresh slice of lemon, which shows off its bittersweet herbal character, and it also takes to tonic or cola as a long drink. It works as a digestif after a heavy meal just as readily.