🥃 Hrvatski pelinkovac
Croatian bitter herbal liqueur where wormwood predominates; 27–31% ABV, 100–170 g of sugar per litre; EU protected name since 24.04.2012.
Hrvatski pelinkovac is a bitter herbal liqueur from Croatia, protected in the EU since 24 April 2012. It is made from ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, sweetened and flavoured with infusions of herbs, among which common wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) predominates by quantity. The colour is warm brown and the taste fresh, with a distinct bitterness.
Composition. Besides wormwood, the documentation names fennel, sage and peppermint. The herbs are chopped and infused in spirit, and the liqueur is sweetened. The strength of pelinkovac is 27–31% ABV and the added sugar is 100–170 g per litre, so it is a full liqueur rather than a bitter.
History. In 1862 a factory for liqueurs, rum and vinegar was founded in Zagreb and bought the same year by Franjo Pokorny. It made pelinkovac from the very beginning, and before the Second World War it became the company’s signature drink. The original 1862 bottle is kept by the Zagreb City Museum. Today several Croatian producers make pelinkovac, including Badel 1862.
How it is served. According to the documentation, pelinkovac is drunk as an aperitif before a meal or as a digestif after it. The bitterness comes from wormwood compounds, including absinthin. In folk medicine wormwood was known as a digestive remedy, but the liqueur is not medicine.
Why this matters to you. Hrvatski pelinkovac is weaker than rakija, but it contains 27–31% ABV of alcohol and a lot of sugar: 100–170 g per litre. The name guarantees Croatian origin and the predominance of wormwood among the herbs. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe amount of alcohol.
Facts
| EU category | 33 — liqueur (EU register) |
|---|---|
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 27–31% ABV |
| Raw material | ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, common wormwood, fennel, sage, peppermint, sugar |
| Year founded | production in Zagreb since 1862 |
| Legal basis | EU PGI-HR-01959 from 24.04.2012; Croatian Ordinance on spirit drinks (NN 61/2009, 86/2011) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Hrvatski pelinkovac → kind of → 🌿 Bitters and bitter spirits → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Maceration
- Made from
- 🥃 Fennel
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🍸 Liqueurs, 🌿 Bitters and bitter spirits
- Related to
- 🗺️ Croatian wine
- Similar and different
- 🍸 Bitter (bitter-tasting spirit drink), 🥃 Amaro, 🥃 Absinthe
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that pelinkovac helps digestion?
No, it is not medicine. Wormwood had this reputation in folk medicine, but pelinkovac is a liqueur of 27–31% ABV with 100–170 g of sugar per litre.
Which plant is the main one in pelinkovac?
Common wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). According to the documentation it predominates among the herbs, with fennel, sage and peppermint alongside.
What is the strength of Hrvatski pelinkovac?
27–31% ABV; the added sugar is 100–170 g per litre.
Since when has pelinkovac been made in Croatia?
Since at least 1862, when a factory bought by Franjo Pokorny started in Zagreb. The Zagreb City Museum keeps a bottle from that year.
How does pelinkovac differ from absinthe?
Both are based on wormwood, but absinthe is a strong aniseed spirit, while pelinkovac is a sweetened liqueur at 27–31% ABV.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍸 Bitter (bitter-tasting spirit drink) — Spirit drink with a predominantly bitter taste: flavoured alcohol or distillate from 15% vol.; EU category 30.
- 🗺️ Croatian wine — The wine of Croatia: 19,938 ha of vines and 603 thousand hl of wine (2024), 4 wine regions, 18 PDOs; the most widely planted grape is Graševina.
- 🍷 Maceration — Steeping the juice with the skins to extract colour, tannins and aroma.
Similar
🥃 Génépi des Alpes · 🥃 Genepì della Valle d'Aosta · 🥃 Genepì del Piemonte · 🥃 Chiemseer Klosterlikör · 🥃 Bayerischer Blutwurz · 🥃 Ettaler Klosterlikör
⚠️ 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
- eAmbrosia: technical file «Hrvatski pelinkovac», PGI-HR-01959 (transmission of established GI) — liqueur from ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, sweetened and flavoured with herb macerates dominated by wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), with fennel, sage and peppermint; 27–31 % vol., added sugar 100–170 g/L; produced since 1862 (Franjo Pokorny), original bottle in the Zagreb City Museum
- eAmbrosia (EU GI register API): Hrvatski pelinkovac, EUGI00000014091, file PGI-HR-01959 — spirit drink, liqueur, registered, EU protection 24.04.2012
- Pravilnik o jakim alkoholnim pićima (Narodne novine 61/2009), Prilog 3: list of spirit drinks originating in Croatia — loza, stara šljivovica, travarica, pelinkovac
- Pravilnik o dopunama Pravilnika o jakim alkoholnim pićima (Narodne novine 86/2011): word «Hrvatski» added before «Pelinkovac» in Prilog 3
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019): Annex I, category 33 liqueur (from 15 % vol., sugar ≥ 100 g/L)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)