🥃 Trejos devynerios
Lithuanian bitter herbal spirit drink whose name means "three times nine": an EU protected name since 2008 in the bitter spirit drink category.
Trejos devynerios is a Lithuanian bitter spirit drink based on alcoholic extracts of herbs and roots. The name means "three times nine" and refers to an old folk belief in a mix of twenty-seven healing plants. Since 13 February 2008 it has been an EU protected name in the bitter spirit drink category.
A bitter, not a liqueur. The Lithuanian encyclopaedia cites Trejos devynerios as an example of bitter trauktinė, alongside Starka. The bitter type typically has 25–60% ABV and up to 7% sugar. Unlike the general name "Trauktinė" and the semi-sweet Palanga and Dainava, this name is registered specifically in the bitter category.
What a bitter is under EU law. It is a spirit drink with a predominantly bitter taste: ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin flavoured with bitter substances. The minimum strength is 15% ABV. The specific plants, strength and method for Trejos devynerios are set by the Lithuanian technical file.
How trauktinė is made. Extracts of herbs, roots, leaves, seeds and citrus peel are blended with alcohol, diluted with water, filtered after one to three days and bottled. The bitter type contains little sugar, so its taste is dry and astringent. Since the end of 2020 the name "Trejos devynerios" has also been protected in the United Kingdom.
Why this matters to you. The name "Trejos devynerios" guarantees a Lithuanian bitter made to its recipe, not the healing power of twenty-seven herbs: it is strong alcohol, and bitterness does not make it medicine. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| EU category | bitter spirit drink (cat. 30 of Regulation (EU) 2019/787); protected name |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | EU register since 13.02.2008 (PGI-LT-01872) |
| Raw material | ethyl alcohol, extracts of herbs and roots |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 15% ABV for the category; bitter trauktinė 25–60% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Trejos devynerios → 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
- 🍸 Bitter (bitter-tasting spirit drink), 🌿 Bitters and bitter spirits
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Magenbitter, 🥃 Kräuterlikör, 🥃 Trauktinė, 🥃 Trauktinė, 🥃 Trauktinė Dainava, 🥃 Trauktinė Dainava, 🥃 Trauktinė Palanga, 🥃 Trauktinė Palanga
Frequently asked questions
Does Trejos devynerios cure a cold?
No. It is a strong, bitter alcoholic drink; the herbs in it do not make it medicine, and the WHO stresses that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
What does the name Trejos devynerios mean?
"Three times nine": a folk name for a mix of 27 plants.
Which EU category does the drink belong to?
Category 30, bitter spirit drink (bitter), with at least 15% ABV.
How does it differ from Palanga and Dainava?
Those two are semi-sweet trauktinė, while Trejos devynerios is a bitter type of trauktinė with little sugar.
Since when has the name been protected?
In the EU register since 13 February 2008; in the United Kingdom since the end of 2020.
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.
- 🥃 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.
- 🥃 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.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
Similar
🥃 Trauktinė · 🥃 Trauktinė Dainava · 🥃 Trauktinė Palanga · 🥃 Mariazeller Magenlikör · 🥃 Steinfelder Magenbitter · 🥃 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 — Trejos devynerios, spirit drink GI, class 'cat. 30 bitter-tasting spirit drinks / bitter', 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 — Trejos devynerios (cat. 30 bitter-tasting spirit drinks / bitter); 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 or bitter (spirit flavoured with bitter-tasting flavourings, min. 15 % vol.)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)