Beerenburg
The Frisian herbal bitter that was actually invented in Amsterdam. What Beerenburg is, where the name comes from, how to drink it, and which glass to serve it in.
The brands behind Beerenburg
Two northern family businesses, and the German herbal bitter it is most often compared with.
Sonnema Berenburg
The Frisian brand from Bolsward that made the category big, and the bottle found in almost every café in the north.
About Sonnema Beerenburg →Hooghoudt
Groningen family business with two Beerenburgs: the 74-herb version and the calamus version with three more.
About Hooghoudt →Underberg
The German herbal bitter in a 2 cl bottle, at 44%. Not Beerenburg, but it plays the same role after a meal.
About Underberg →Our drinks page lists all the brands we cover, from liqueur to whisky.
Every Beerenburg, listed by brand
2 brands and 5 flavors, each with its own page about taste, cocktails, and the right glass.
Frisian liqueur, invented in Amsterdam
Beerenburg is jenever with an extract of herbs added: juniper, gentian root, bay leaf and a range of others, depending on the recipe. The result is a dark, bittersweet herbal bitter that is almost always 30% ABV. It's inextricably linked with Friesland, and rightly so: it's made there and drunk there more than anywhere else. But the herb blend originally comes from Amsterdam.
The name refers to Hendrik Beerenburg, an Amsterdam apothecary who sold an herb mixture in the eighteenth century that you could steep in jenever yourself. Frisian skippers took it with them, and in Friesland it developed into what it is today. So it has nothing to do with a bear's castle, even though that explanation is often given. You'll come across both spellings: beerenburg with a double e, and berenburg, as Sonnema spells it on its label.
In brief
Four bottles, all around 30%
The alcohol percentage is virtually the same everywhere. The difference lies in the number of herbs and how bitter the blend is.
Sonnema Berenburg
The best-known bottle of them all, from Bolsward. Bittersweet and herbal, with a smooth finish. The benchmark for this category.
Hooghoudt Beerenburg 74
From Groningen-based Hooghoudt, with seventy-four herbs in the blend. More complex and more pronounced in bitterness than most.
Hooghoudt Sweet Flag
Made with sweet flag root and seventy-seven herbs. More herbal and slightly sweeter than the 74, with a noticeably warmer finish.
Underberg
Not beerenburg but its German counterpart, in 2 cl bottles. Much more bitter and a lot stronger; intended as a digestif.
Sonnema if you're just starting out, Hooghoudt 74 if you're looking for a more pronounced bitterness.
Bittersweet, with gentian and bay leaf
Herbs & juniper
Dried herbs, bay leaf and juniper, with an earthy note of gentian root underneath. Dark and instantly recognizable.
Bittersweet and warm
Sweet at first, bitter in the middle, with a warm spiciness that lingers. At 30%, it's much softer than a German herbal bitter.
Smooth and bitter
The gentian lingers the longest and gives it a dry, bitter finish. That’s exactly why it works as a digestif.
Flavor profile of Sonnema Berenburg. Hooghoudt 74 scores higher on spiciness and lower on sweetness; Underberg scores higher across the board.
Three ways to drink beerenburg
In Friesland, it goes into the glass ice-cold, and there’s little to argue with: the cold dulls the bitterness just enough.
Freezer-cold
3 to 4 cl in a small shot glass, straight from the freezer. At 30% ABV it won’t freeze, but it does become syrupy, and the bitter herbs taste much smoother.
Glass: shot glass →With cola
5 cl in a longdrink glass full of ice, topped up with cola. The cola’s sweetness balances the bitterness; it’s a regular order at bars in the north of the country.
Glass: longdrink glass →As a digestif
4 cl at room temperature after a heavy meal. Herbal bitters were made for exactly that, and the gentian does the work here. Served warm, you can taste more of the blend.
About herbal bitters →Cocktails with beerenburg
Beerenburg isn’t a cocktail base but a drink to sip. It also works surprisingly well as the bitter component in a stirred cocktail.
Kopstoot
Classically made with young Dutch gin, but beerenburg is just as common in the north.
Hot Toddy
Hot water, honey, lemon, and cloves. The spices fit right in.
Negroni
Gin, Campari, and red vermouth. A splash of beerenburg adds an earthy note.
Make shots
The full collection of shot recipes, from layered to freezer-cold.The right glass for beerenburg
A small shot glass that can go in the freezer, and a longdrink glass for mixing with cola. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything you still wanted to know about Beerenburg
Can't find your question here? Check out our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
To the cocktail recipes →What is the alcohol percentage in Beerenburg?
Where does the name Beerenburg come from?
Is Beerenburg Frisian?
What's the difference between Beerenburg and Berenburg?
What exactly is in Beerenburg?
How do you drink Beerenburg?
Buy Beerenburg
Want the bottle delivered straight to your door? Order Beerenburg online at Gall & Gall. Gall & Gall has 17 varieties, 5 of which are on sale.
Prices as of November 4, 2026, as reported by Gall & Gall. You can check the current price and stock at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy something through these links; it won't cost you anything extra. No 18, no alcohol.
