🥃 Trauktinė Dainava
Semi-sweet Lithuanian spirit drink based on plant extracts, named after Dainava, a historical region in southern Lithuania; an EU protected name since 2008.
Trauktinė Dainava is a semi-sweet Lithuanian spirit drink based on alcoholic plant extracts, named after Dainava, a historical region in southern Lithuania. Since 13 February 2008 “Trauktinė Dainava” has been an EU protected name in the “other spirit drinks” section.
Type of drink. The Lithuanian encyclopaedia names Dainava as one of the most common semi-sweet trauktinė, alongside Palanga. This type typically has 30–40% ABV and up to 10% sugar, so in taste it is closer to a herbal liqueur than to a bitter.
How trauktinė is made. According to the Lithuanian encyclopaedia, ethanol is blended with alcoholic extracts of aromatic plants, roots, leaves, seeds and citrus peel, and the mix is filtered after one to three days. The sources used here do not give the exact recipe of Dainava, so the producer's label is the guide to its composition.
Protected name. Dainava is one of three Lithuanian trauktinė names in the EU register, alongside the general “Trauktinė” and “Trauktinė Palanga”; the bitter Trejos devynerios is protected separately. Since the end of 2020 these names have also been protected in the United Kingdom.
Why this matters to you. The name “Trauktinė Dainava” guarantees a Lithuanian drink under a registered name, not any benefit from herbs: it is a strong, sweetish spirit drink of up to 40% ABV. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| EU category | listed in the EU register as “other spirit drinks”; protected name |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | EU register since 13.02.2008 (PGI-LT-02021) |
| Raw material | ethyl alcohol and extracts of aromatic plants, roots, leaves, seeds and citrus peel |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | semi-sweet type of trauktinė: 30–40% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Trauktinė Dainava → kind of → 🌿 Bitters and bitter spirits → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Maceration
- Made from
- 🥃 Ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🌿 Bitters and bitter spirits
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Kräuterlikör, 🍸 Bitter (bitter-tasting spirit drink), 🥃 Trauktinė, 🥃 Trauktinė, 🥃 Trauktinė Palanga, 🥃 Trauktinė Palanga, 🥃 Trejos devynerios, 🥃 Trejos devynerios
Frequently asked questions
Is Dainava a bitter?
No. The Lithuanian encyclopaedia classes it as a semi-sweet trauktinė: 30–40% ABV and up to 10% sugar.
Where does the name Dainava come from?
From Dainava, a historical region in southern Lithuania.
Since when has Trauktinė Dainava been protected?
In the EU register since 13 February 2008; in the United Kingdom since the end of 2020.
How does Dainava differ from Palanga?
Both are semi-sweet Lithuanian trauktinė with their own protected names.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Maceration — Steeping the juice with the skins to extract colour, tannins and aroma.
- 🍸 Bitter (bitter-tasting spirit drink) — Spirit drink with a predominantly bitter taste: flavoured alcohol or distillate from 15% vol.; EU category 30.
- 🥃 Ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin — Ethyl alcohol made only from agricultural raw materials such as grain, potatoes, molasses or grapes; under EU law at least 96% ABV with strict limits on impurities. The base of vodka, gin and liqueurs.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
Similar
🥃 Trauktinė · 🥃 Trauktinė Palanga · 🥃 Bayerischer Bärwurz · 🥃 Trejos devynerios · 🥃 Mariazeller Magenlikör · 🥃 Hrvatski pelinkovac
⚠️ 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
- GOV.UK (Defra): Protected food and drink names — Trauktinė Dainava, spirit drink GI, class 'other spirit drinks', Lithuania, original EU registration 13.02.2008
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex III (geographical indications) as at 31.01.2020 (legislation.gov.uk): Lithuania — Trauktinė Dainava (other spirit drinks); other Lithuanian names: Trauktinė, Trauktinė Palanga, Trauktinė Dainava, Trejos devynerios, Vilniaus Džinas / Vilnius Gin
- Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija (vle.lt), entry 'Trauktinė': ethanol blended with alcoholic extracts of aromatic plants, roots, leaves, seeds and citrus peel, filtered after 1–3 days; sweet 16–25 % vol., semi-sweet 30–40 % vol., bitter 25–60 % vol.; examples Palanga, Dainava (semi-sweet), Trejos devynerios (bitter)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks: Chapter III — geographical indications; Annex I, cat. 33 liqueur (min. 15 % vol.)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)