Becherovka

Becherovka Audio|Cs-Becherovka.ogg|listen is an herbal bitters made in Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic, flavored with anise seeds, cinnamon, and approximately 32 other herbs, first sold in 1807. It is normally served cold, and is often used as an aid to digestion. It can also be served with tonic water, in which case it is known as a "beton" (Czech for "concrete"). Its alcohol content is 38 percent (76 proof).

The manufacturer of Becherovka, the company "Jan Becher — Karlovarská Becherovka, a.s.", dates back 200 years to the first decade of the 19th century. In 1807, Josef Becher, a pharmacist from Karlovy Vary, started selling bitters made to his own recipe as a medicinal tonic. In 1841, Josef Becher passed on his budding business to his son and heir Johann. Johann started large-scale production, and accordingly his name has been associated with Becherovka to the present day.

Over the next hundred years (until 1945), the management of the company was passed down through the Becher family. After World War II, the company was nationalized. Hedda Baier-Becher, the last owner before the expropriation, died in 2007.

The company was privatized in 1997 and sold to an international liquor company, Pernod Ricard.

ee also

*Limet
*Fernet Branca
*Fernet Stock
*Jägermeister
*Unicum

References

External links

* [http://www.becherovka.cz Becherovka official site]
* [http://www.travel.cz/guide/171/index_en.html Becherovka liqueurs info]