🥃 Steinfelder Magenbitter
Bitter herbal liqueur from the Graz area of Styria: a protected EU name in the liqueur category, at least 25% ABV, at least 100 g sugar per litre, bottles up to 0.5 l.
Steinfelder Magenbitter is a protected EU name for a bitter herbal drink from Austria. Despite the word 'Magenbitter', under EU law it is a liqueur: at least 25% ABV and 100 g of sugar per litre. It is made within 60 km of Steinfelder, once a stony wasteland and today part of the districts of Gries and Eggenberg in the city of Graz in Styria.
Ingredients. The herb and spice blend must include chamomile, angelica, cloves, ginger, juniper berries, field thistle and hops. The thistle, hops and dried pears always come from Steinfelder; the rest comes from the market. Depending on the producer's recipe, a little apple and pear distillate or local fruit wine may be added. It is sweetened with sugar or honey.
How it is made. Unlike ordinary herbal liqueurs, where a single maceration is enough, some of the plants are first steeped and then distilled. The colour is reddish, dark brown, from the maceration and a small amount of caramel. It is bottled in containers of up to 0.5 l.
History. According to the technical description, farmers of the stony Steinfelder used to prepare bitter infusions to take with heavy, high-calorie food after hard work. In 1994, before Austria joined the EU (1995), the name was added to the list of protected names, and it survived difficult negotiations over the European Economic Area.
Why it matters to you. 'Stomach' is a traditional name, not a medical claim: health claims on drinks above 1.2% vol. are banned in the EU. It is a sweet, strong drink. The WHO notes that there is no safe amount of alcohol.
Facts
| EU category | liqueur (category 33 in Regulation (EU) 2019/787); the catalogue listed it as 'bitter' |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | protected Austrian name since 29.08.1994; technical description Ref. Ares(2016)96163 |
| Raw material | chamomile, angelica, cloves, ginger, juniper, field thistle, hops; agricultural spirit; sugar or honey |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 25% ABV; sugar from 100 g/l |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Steinfelder Magenbitter → kind of → 🍸 Liqueurs → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Maceration
- Made from
- 🥃 Common juniper (Juniperus communis)
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Related to
- 🥃 Digestif, 📍 Styria
- Part of
- 🥃 Magenbitter, 🍸 Liqueurs
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Kräuterlikör, 🥃 Bayerischer Kräuterlikör
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Steinfelder Magenbitter cures the stomach?
No, this has not been proven. 'Stomach bitter' is a traditional name; health claims on drinks above 1.2% vol. are banned in the EU.
Is it a bitter or a liqueur?
Under EU law it is a liqueur: the technical description places it in the liqueur category, with at least 25% ABV and sugar from 100 g per litre.
Which herbs are required?
Chamomile, angelica, cloves, ginger, juniper berries, field thistle and hops; the thistle, hops and dried pears come from Steinfelder.
Where is Steinfelder Magenbitter made?
Within 60 km of Steinfelder, a former wasteland that now lies within the city of Graz, in the districts of Gries and Eggenberg.
What size are the bottles?
The technical description allows bottles of up to 0.5 l.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🥃 Digestif — A small serving of brandy, grappa, amaro or liqueur at the end of a meal; French digestif, Italian digestivo. A custom, not an EU category.
- 🥃 Bayerischer Kräuterlikör — Protected EU geographical indication for herbal liqueurs of Bavaria: spirit infusions of herbs, roots, flowers and spices, sweetened with sugar or honey; at least 15 % vol.
- 🥃 Kräuterlikör — Kräuterlikör is the German word for herbal liqueur: a sweet spirit drink flavoured with herbs, roots and spices. Under EU law it is a liqueur: at least 15% ABV, as a rule 100 g/l of sugar.
- 🥃 Common juniper (Juniperus communis) — Conifer shrub or small tree of the cypress family; its berry-like fruits are a required ingredient in gin, genever and other EU juniper-flavoured spirit drinks.
Similar
🥃 Mariazeller Magenlikör · 🥃 Genepì della Valle d'Aosta · 🥃 Licor de hierbas de Galicia · 🥃 Genepì del Piemonte · 🥃 Münchener Kümmel · 🥃 Trauktinė Palanga
⚠️ 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 (EU GI register), technical file 'Steinfelder Magenbitter', Ref. Ares(2016)96163 (English): category 32 liqueur; min. 25 % vol.; sugar min. 100 g/l; reddish dark brown, small amount of caramel; maceration plus 'maceration and distillation'; always chamomile, angelica, cloves, ginger, juniper berries, creeping thistle and hops; creeping thistle, hops and dried pear from the Steinfeld area; area within 60 km of the Steinfeld (now Gries and Eggenberg districts of Graz); bottles up to 0.5 l; listed on Austria's accession, 29.08.1994
- eAmbrosia (EU GI register), technical file 'Steinfelder Magenbitter', Ref. Ares(2016)96163 (German original)
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex III as at 31.01.2020 (legislation.gov.uk): Austria — Steinfelder Magenbitter (32. Liqueur)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Annex I: category 33 — liqueur (min. 15 % vol., sugar from 100 g/l in general); category 30 — bitter-tasting spirit drink
- 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)