Badel Pelinkovac Winter Limited Edition

Badel Pelinkovac Winter is a limited winter edition of Pelinkovac, the bittersweet wormwood herbal liqueur of Croatia, made by Badel 1862, the house working since 1862. The classic herbal base of wormwood and Mediterranean herbs is layered here with warming Christmas spice, cinnamon, cloves and bourbon vanilla, bottled at 28% for the cold season.

The nose is intense and vermouth like with Mediterranean herbs, cinnamon, cloves and a hint of vanilla, the palate carrying Christmas flavours of cinnamon, clove and bourbon vanilla over the herbal base, the finish long. As a herbal liqueur rather than an amaro, it works behind the bar as a spiced herbal backbone, a bar spoon bringing baking spice and bitter depth to a dark, spirit forward winter cocktail or a warm serve. Tradition chills it to around eight degrees and serves it with a slice of apple, which frames its spice, and it lengthens well into a hot drink against the cold.