Badel Antique Pelinkovac Premium Herbal Liqueur (Gift Box)

Badel Antique Pelinkovac, presented here in a gift box, is the older styled version of Pelinkovac, the bittersweet wormwood herbal liqueur of Croatia, made by Badel 1862, the Zagreb house working since 1862. Its bittersweet structure comes from wormwood, with mint, anise, gentian and liquorice rounding out a blend of mountain herbs and spices, bottled at 35%.

The nose is spicy and herbal, the palate aromatic with 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 stirred into a dark, spirit forward cocktail adds wormwood depth and a lingering bitter finish, and it takes readily to tonic or cola as a long drink. Croatians drink Pelinkovac neat and well chilled as a digestif after a heavy meal, where it sits well alongside strong cheese or dark chocolate, its traditional serve.