🥃 Bayerischer Blutwurz
Bavarian herbal liqueur from the root of upright tormentil (Blutwurz): EU geographical indication since 2021, at least 35% ABV, red-brown colour.
Bayerischer Blutwurz is a herbal liqueur from Bavaria whose main ingredient is the root of upright tormentil, called Blutwurz in German, meaning “bloodroot”. Since 2021 the name has been registered in the EU as a geographical indication: the drink must be at least 35% ABV and has a herbal, bitter taste and a characteristic red-brown colour.
Protected name. Regulation (EU) 2021/2262 of 13 December 2021 entered the name “Bayerischer Blutwurz” in the register under Regulation (EU) 2019/787; its entry appears in the eAmbrosia register. The drink may be made in all seven Bavarian administrative regions.
Raw material and production. According to the Bavarian Ministry of Agriculture's description on the GenussErbe Bayern portal, chopped tormentil roots, other herbs and berries are used. No colourings or other food additives are used.
Region and tradition. Most Blutwurz is made in the Bavarian Forest, particularly in Zwiesel and Viechtach, and in the foothills of the Alps, where the root grows. Tormentil root has long been used in folk medicine. The drink is traditionally served at room temperature.
Why it matters to you. The name “Bayerischer Blutwurz” may only be used for a liqueur made to the Bavarian specification. The folk reputation of the root does not make the liqueur medicine: health claims on drinks above 1.2% vol. are banned in the EU. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| EU category | liqueur (category 33 of Regulation (EU) 2019/787); geographical indication since 2021 |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Regulation (EU) 2021/2262; Regulation (EU) 2019/787 |
| Raw material | tormentil root (Blutwurz), other herbs, berries; no colourings |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 35% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Bayerischer Blutwurz → similar → 🌿 Bitters and bitter spirits → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- What it contains
- 🍬 Sugar
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🍸 Liqueurs
- Related to
- 🌍 Central Europe
- Similar and different
- 🌿 Bitters and bitter spirits, 🌼 Gentian spirit, 🥃 Jägermeister, 🥃 Chiemseer Klosterlikör, 🥃 Fränkischer Obstler
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Blutwurz is a stomach medicine?
No. Tormentil root was used in folk medicine, but the liqueur is an alcoholic drink; health claims on drinks above 1.2% vol. are banned in the EU.
What is Bayerischer Blutwurz made from?
From chopped tormentil root (Blutwurz) with other herbs and berries, without colourings or additives.
What is the strength of Bavarian Blutwurz?
According to the specification, at least 35% ABV, although the general EU minimum for liqueurs is 15% ABV.
Since when has the name Bayerischer Blutwurz been protected?
Since December 2021: Regulation (EU) 2021/2262 registered it as a geographical indication.
Where is Blutwurz made?
Throughout Bavaria, most of all in the Bavarian Forest (Zwiesel, Viechtach) and in the Alpine foothills.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍬 Sugar — Sucrose added to condensed milk, ice cream and sweet yogurts; WHO advises that free sugars supply less than 10% of daily energy.
- 🌍 Central Europe — Curd cheese (quark), cheeses and butter in peasant cooking.
- 🌿 Bitters and bitter spirits — Bitter spirits: bitters from 15% vol.; gentian is a distillate of gentian root; bitter liqueurs are sweeter.
- 🥃 Jägermeister — German herbal liqueur from Wolfenbüttel: 56 herbs, flowers, roots and fruits are steeped in alcohol, and the base then ages for about a year in oak casks.
Similar
🥃 Chiemseer Klosterlikör · 🥃 Bayerischer Kräuterlikör · 🥃 Benediktbeurer Klosterlikör · 🥃 Ettaler Klosterlikör · 🥃 Cantueso Alicantino · 🥃 Genepì del Piemonte
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- GenussErbe Bayern (Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry): Bayerischer Blutwurz — tormentil root, other herbs and berries, no colourings or additives, min. 35 % vol., red-brown, herb to herb-bitter; Bavarian Forest (Zwiesel, Viechtach), pre-Alps
- Official Journal of the EU, L 455, 20.12.2021: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2262 of 13 December 2021 registering a geographical indication of a spirit drink ('Bayerischer Blutwurz')
- eAmbrosia — EU geographical indications register: Bayerischer Blutwurz (EUGI00000016584), spirit drink, Germany
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks, Annex I: cat. 33 liqueur (min. 15 %, sugar from 100 g/l in general)
- Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims, Art. 4(3): no health claims on beverages over 1.2 % vol.
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)