Gammel Dansk Bitter Dram

Nose

Intense and herbal, with notes of spice such as cinnamon and anise, a gentian like bitterness, and a touch of citrus zest.

Palate

Dry and assertively bitter, showing layered herbs and spices, slightly earthy notes, and a faint sweetness at the back to round it out.

Finish

Long, spicy, and dry, with lingering bitterness and a fresh citrus tingle.

Gammel Dansk is a classic Danish herbal bitter and one of Denmark’s most recognisable spirits. Its story begins in the late 1950s at De Danske Spritfabrikker in Roskilde. Factory manager J.K. Asmund was challenged to develop a new drink and spent years experimenting with herbs, spices and flowers. After testing more than one hundred different ingredients, the final recipe for Gammel Dansk was introduced in 1964.

The bitter is composed of 29 botanicals sourced from different parts of the world. Known ingredients include angelica root, nutmeg, aniseed, ginger and rowanberries, although the precise proportions remain a closely guarded secret. The botanicals are processed and then steeped in high strength alcohol for three months before the bitter is completed.

Gammel Dansk was originally created as a Danish answer to imported herbal bitters and is known for its distinctive balance of bitterness, spice and aromatic character. Traditionally enjoyed in Denmark as both a bitter dram and digestif, its complex herbal profile also makes Gammel Dansk an interesting ingredient for cocktails.