🥃 Trauktinė
Lithuanian name for strong spirit drinks based on extracts of herbs, roots, seeds and citrus peel: sweet, semi-sweet and bitter; an EU protected name since 2008.
Trauktinė is the Lithuanian name for strong drinks made from ethyl alcohol and alcoholic extracts of aromatic plants: herbs, roots, leaves, seeds and citrus peel. The taste is spicy and often slightly bitter. Since 13 February 2008 the name "Trauktinė" has been protected in the EU as a Lithuanian name in the "other spirit drinks" section.
Three types. The Lithuanian encyclopaedia distinguishes sweet trauktinė (16–25% ABV, 8–30% sugar), semi-sweet (30–40% ABV, up to 10% sugar) and bitter (25–60% ABV, up to 7% sugar). Because of this range the drink does not fit a single EU category: the sweet ones are closer to a liqueur, the bitter ones to a bitter spirit drink.
How it is made. Plant extracts are blended with alcohol, diluted with water, filtered after one to three days and then bottled. Sugar, fruit or berry juices, starch syrup, food acids, brandy or wine may be added. Each recipe sets its own mix of herbs and berries.
Lithuanian names. The most common in Lithuania are the semi-sweet Palanga and Dainava and the bitter Trejos devynerios; three of them have their own protected names. Together with Original Lithuanian Vodka and Vilniaus Džinas gin they make up the Lithuanian list of protected spirit drinks. The catalogue classes trauktinė as a bitter, but most Lithuanian trauktinė is semi-sweet.
Why this matters to you. The name "Trauktinė" guarantees Lithuanian origin, not a medicinal effect: herbs do not turn the drink into medicine, and strength can reach 60% 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-02111) |
| Raw material | ethyl alcohol, extracts of herbs, roots, seeds and citrus peel; sugar, juices, wine or brandy possible |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | sweet 16–25%, semi-sweet 30–40%, bitter 25–60% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Trauktinė → 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
- 🍸 Bitter (bitter-tasting spirit drink), 🥃 Kräuterlikör, 🥃 Magenbitter, 🥃 Trauktinė Dainava, 🥃 Trauktinė Dainava, 🥃 Trauktinė Palanga, 🥃 Trauktinė Palanga, 🥃 Trejos devynerios, 🥃 Trejos devynerios
Frequently asked questions
Is trauktinė a herbal medicine?
No. It is a strong alcoholic drink of 16 to 60% ABV; herbal extracts do not make it healthy, and the WHO stresses that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
How does trauktinė differ from a liqueur?
Trauktinė can be sweet, semi-sweet or bitter; only the sweet versions are close to a liqueur, while the bitter ones are closer to a bitter spirit drink.
How strong is trauktinė?
Sweet: 16–25% ABV; semi-sweet: 30–40% ABV; bitter: 25–60% ABV.
Which Lithuanian trauktinė are well known?
The semi-sweet Palanga and Dainava and the bitter Trejos devynerios; all three have their own EU protected names.
Since when has the name been protected?
The name "Trauktinė" has been in the EU register since 13 February 2008.
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.
- 🥃 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.
Similar
🥃 Trauktinė Dainava · 🥃 Trauktinė Palanga · 🥃 Trejos devynerios · 🥃 Bayerischer Bärwurz · 🥃 Mariazeller Magenlikör · 🥃 Steinfelder Magenbitter
⚠️ 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, 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 (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: Annex I, cat. 30 bitter-tasting spirit drink (min. 15 % vol.) and cat. 33 liqueur (min. 15 % vol., sugar as a rule min. 100 g/l)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)