Riga Black Balsam Original - Herbal Bitter / Herbal Liqueur - 45% Vol. 70cl (700ml/0.7 Litre)

£9.9
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Riga Black Balsam Original - Herbal Bitter / Herbal Liqueur - 45% Vol. 70cl (700ml/0.7 Litre)

Riga Black Balsam Original - Herbal Bitter / Herbal Liqueur - 45% Vol. 70cl (700ml/0.7 Litre)

RRP: £99
Price: £9.9
£9.9 FREE Shipping

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This worked out fine until 1939, when the bulk of Latvia’s 62,000 Baltic Germans—the balsam masters apparently among them—left the country ahead of the Soviet occupation. It continued the production of Riga Black Balsam even after Latvia declared its independence in 1918. Especially popular in warm drinks, made of Balsam and coffee or hot blackberry juice - experiments unlimited! All we know about it is that the herbs are mixed with vodka and water, and this mixture is kept in oak barrels for more than a month, which gives inimitable taste and scent.

Riga Black Balsam Liqueur | Master of Malt Riga Black Balsam Liqueur | Master of Malt

Once the 'Riga Black Balsam essence' has been attained the liquid is blended with the rest of the ingredients such as honey and caramel. Martin Roslau produced it until his death in 1783, after which it was continued by his only daughter Maria Jadwiga and a year later also by her new husband Cristop Strizky. In the 1970s, a 300-gram bottle of the 45-proof Riga Black Balsam with an iron stopper cost 9 Rbls10 kop "inclusive of the cost of the container", while a similar bottle with a cork stopper sealed with wax cost 10Rbls90 kop. Because of that, the sales of the balsam rose sharply and in some cities of the Russian Empire it was started to be consumed as a strong vodka.Nowadays, Riga Black Balsam is produced by JSC Latvijas Balzams and has received more than 100 awards at different international fairs throughout its history.

Riga Black Balsam - Our Products | Riga Black Riga Black Balsam - Our Products | Riga Black

In 1770 and 1774, Eva Kunze complained to the Governor-General of Riga about the counterfeit production of Kunze's balsam and requested that others are prohibited from producing it, but her request was denied. As Riga Black Balsam contains volatile oils, dissolved resin and other scented mixtures, it can be used not only for relaxation, but also for healing yourself; the drink is especially useful in comatting colds. Nowadays, the Riga Black Balsam is also used in traditional medicine as a cold remedy and to treat digestive problems. Slightly bitter scent reminding of summer even in mid-winter, golden brown colour and unmistakeable taste - Riga Black Balsam is Latvia's most characteristic alcoholic drink. Black Balsam Black Currant, on the other hand, is used in cocktails such as "Stairway to Heaven", whereas Black Balsam Cherry is added to Cherry Soda.In 1752, Riga pharmacist Abraham Kunze concocted the city’s beloved Black Balsam, a bitter herbal liqueur. Riga Black Balsam ( Latvian: Rīgas Melnais balzams) is a traditional Latvian balsam often considered to be the national drink of Latvia. Also sign me up for newsletters so I can get special offers, recommendations, and expert advice to my inbox! You can even say that in wintertime Balsam replaces the sun; it warms your body and mind when mixed with hot blackberry juice. It is unknown when or how he acquired the recipe, but Leluchin was the one that transformed Kunze's 16 ABV white-coloured medicinal drink into a stronger black balsam intended for general consumption.

Riga Black Balsam Classic - Legendary recipe since 1752 Riga Black Balsam Classic - Legendary recipe since 1752

A special delicacy is the mixture of Balsam and warm milk, with a scoop of ice cream and a sprinkling of chocolate.In the 19th century, Riga Black Balsam had become a national drink and by the mid-19th century was already produced by factories in Riga, Liepāja, Bauska, Talsi and Ventspils. The exact recipe is still a secret, but Black Balsam is made from 24 ingredients, including 17 botanicals. Or, as some in the contemporary press alleged, he cribbed the drink from earlier iterations, since recipes for balsam had been documented in Riga as far back as the 1500s. Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Riga Black Balsam Cocktail: Find your ideal cocktail Riga Black Balsam Cocktail: Find your ideal cocktail

I would describe the taste as somewhere between shellac varnish and paint stripper or a mixture of both, but since I have drunk neither, the closest I can get to, or even imagine would be Angostura straight from the bottle, or even shoe polish. The balsam's success in curing Catherine the Great provided it with popularity throughout Europe and Kunze with exclusive rights to produce the balsam for the next 50 years.

Originally, Kunze's balsam consisted of a mixture of aromatic water (75%) and a tincture of sage, dill seeds, peppermint leaves, lavender flowers, rosemary and cinnamon. In 1969, a joint team of specialists from Latvijas Keramika and Riga Polytechnical Institute designed the very first ceramic bottles for the balsam. The original recipe was lost in 1939 after its last keepers, the Schrader brothers, repatriated to Germany. For the first six months after bottling the flavour of Black Balsam will to develop as the ingredients interact with the clay.



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