Badel 1862 Antique Pelinkovac Herbal Liqueur
Badel 1862 Antique Pelinkovac Herbal Liqueur is Croatia's national bitter from Badel 1862, the Zagreb producer whose roots go back to the Pokorny liqueur works of the 1860s — a house decorated by Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1867 and now Croatia's largest spirits maker. Pelinkovac takes its name from pelin, the Croatian word for wormwood, and Antique is built on more than forty native Mediterranean herbs and plants led by wormwood, macerated and run through an A. Ziemann copper still in use since 1921, then aged in oak barrels and bottled at 35% ABV in a 700mL bottle, every bottle carrying its own serial number. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- Proof / ABV: 70 proof (35% ABV)
- Size: 700mL
- Botanicals: 40+ Mediterranean herbs, led by wormwood (pelin)
- Production: A. Ziemann copper still (in use since 1921); oak-aged; serial-numbered bottles
- Producer: Badel 1862, Zagreb
- Origin: Croatia
Croatia's Original Bitter, Since 1862
Antique is one of Badel's oldest premium liqueurs, made by hand to a traditional recipe passed down through generations, with a century of crystallized botanical residue still inside its copper still. Oak aging gives it its deep, coffee-brown color, and the profile lands somewhere between Jägermeister and an Italian amaro — bittersweet, herbal and balanced rather than harsh. Browse more liqueurs and European bitters among our spirits at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Wormwood up front, then dark herbs, gentle spice and a balanced sweetness that keeps it easy to drink. The oak-aged body is full and smooth, with a long bittersweet finish.
How to Enjoy
Serve it ice-cold with an orange slice, the way it is poured in Zagreb, sip it after dinner as a digestif, or swap it in for the absinthe rinse in a Sazerac. See more cocktail ingredients at Del Mesa Liquor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does pelinkovac mean?
It is named for pelin, the Croatian word for wormwood, the leading botanical in the recipe of more than forty Mediterranean herbs.
How is Antique different from regular Pelinkovac?
Antique is Badel's premium, oak-aged expression, distilled in a copper still dating to 1921 and bottled with an individual serial number on every label.
What size and proof is it?
700mL at 35% ABV (70 proof).
Order Badel 1862 Antique Pelinkovac from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA, and taste the bitter Croatia has kept since 1862.