An inky bitter herbal liqueur sold in ceramic bottles, made in Riga since 1752 and credited to the pharmacist Abraham Kunze. It is blended from around two dozen botanicals and is drunk neat, in coffee or in hot blackcurrant juice.
The formula is a trade secret held since the eighteenth century, and the base is a distilled spirit that cannot legally be made at home.
What goes into it
- a neutral spirit
- around 24 botanicals including wormwood, valerian, ginger, birch buds and linden blossom
- honey
- oak casks
How it is made
The botanicals are macerated in spirit over weeks, the extracts blended with honey and sugar and then matured in oak barrels for months before bottling. The dark colour comes from the botanicals themselves rather than from caramel, and the exact composition and proportions belong to the producer.
How long it takes: weeks of maceration, then months in oak
How it is eaten
Neat and cold, stirred into black coffee, or in hot blackcurrant juice in winter.
History
Herbal bitters made in Riga since the eighteenth century, credited to the pharmacist Abraham Kunze and now blended from two dozen botanicals.
Frequently asked questions
What is Riga Black Balsam?
Riga Black Balsam is a wine & spirit from Latvia: inky bitter herbal liqueur in ceramic bottles since 1752. Herbal bitters made in Riga since the eighteenth century, credited to the pharmacist Abraham Kunze and now blended from two dozen botanicals.
How is Riga Black Balsam made?
The botanicals are macerated in spirit over weeks, the extracts blended with honey and sugar and then matured in oak barrels for months before bottling. The dark colour comes from the botanicals themselves rather than from caramel, and the exact composition and proportions belong to the producer. It takes weeks of maceration, then months in oak.
Can I make Riga Black Balsam at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. The formula is a trade secret held since the eighteenth century, and the base is a distilled spirit that cannot legally be made at home.
What goes into Riga Black Balsam?
A neutral spirit, around 24 botanicals including wormwood, valerian, ginger, birch buds and linden blossom, honey, oak casks.
How is Riga Black Balsam eaten?
Neat and cold, stirred into black coffee, or in hot blackcurrant juice in winter.
