Aromatique Liqueur

Aromatique is a traditional German apothecary bitter — a 100% spice-based aromatic liqueur from Thuringia, bottled at 40% ABV in a 750mL bottle by Th. Kramer & Co. Created in 1828 by pharmacist Daniel Thraen as a stomach remedy, it is the only surviving expression of its category: alcohol slowly percolated over ground spices for a week, then sugar-percolated, yielding an orange-forward, smoked-and-toasted spice profile with black-tea depth. It earned Gold + Best of Show at the 2015 Los Angeles International Spirits Competition. Available to order online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.

• ABV: 40% (80 proof)
• Size: 750mL
• Style: German apothecary bitter (magenbitter-adjacent) — 100% spice-based, halfway between a Kräuterlikör and an amaro
• Origin: Neudietendorf, Thuringia, Germany — Th. Kramer & Co., factory founded 1876; the Sanders family operates the only surviving Aromatique
• Production: alcohol percolates through ground spices for one week (tea/coffee-style extraction), then sugar percolation; viscous and silky

From a Pharmacist's Remedy to a Trademarked Category

In 1828, during a stomach-illness epidemic, pharmacist Daniel Thraen of Neudietendorf created Aromatique as a digestive remedy. The Th. Kramer & Co. factory began producing it in 1876, and by 1945 five Aromatique factories existed — all nationalized in the Soviet Occupation Zone. After German reunification, Lutz and Marina Sanders purchased Th. Kramer & Co., and today the Sanders family operates the only surviving Aromatique and trademarked the entire category name as their brand. Importer Henry Preiss puts it this way: "Just as my father, Erich, introduced Jägermeister 50 years ago to the Western US, we are introducing Aromatique, a unique German Bitter." Preiss's panel scored it 92 points at the 2015 Ultimate Spirits Challenge. Discover more Aromatique or browse the liqueur collection.

Tasting Notes

Orange-forward spice with hints of smoked and toasted spice, "black tea-like" depth, and a rich, bittersweet mid-palate. Viscous and silky, with a drier finish than sweeter German herbal liqueurs.

How to Enjoy

Room temperature or slightly chilled, neat as a digestif — the traditional serve. It also goes in mulled wine, with coke, in cold-brew coffee, or alongside a beer.

Frequently Asked Questions

A traditional German apothecary bitter (aromatic spice liqueur) from Thuringia — 40% ABV, 100% spice-based, created in 1828 as a stomach remedy; Th. Kramer & Co. is the only surviving producer of the category.

Both are German herbal/spice liqueurs, but Aromatique is a drier, 100%-spice apothecary bitter at 40% (smoked spice, black-tea notes) — closer to an amaro than to Jäger's sweeter profile.

Room temperature or slightly chilled, neat as a digestif; also in mulled wine, with coke, in cold-brew coffee, or alongside a beer.

A 1828 remedy, a trademarked category, a Best-of-Show bitter — order Aromatique online at Del Mesa Liquor.