Kräuterlikor (herbal liqueur or spiced liqueur, also called “half-bitters”) is a type of liqueur that is flavored with herbs or spices and traditionally drunk neat as a digestif. In contrast to bitters, they have a higher sugar content, expressed as invert sugar. Liqueurs of this kind normally contain 15% to 44% alcohol by volume.

The history of Kräuterlikor recipes dates back to medieval authors like Hildegard of Bingen. Mixtures of alcohol and bitter substances were used as medicine to increase bile and gastric acid secretion. Actually, the higher proportion of alcohol and sugar is not conducive to digestion. Nowadays Kräuterlikor is also served as an ingredient of different cocktails and long drinks.

Widely sold liqueur brands are Jagermeister, Killepitsch, Kuemmerling, Schierker Feuerstein, Schwartzhog, Wurzelpeter, and Underberg (Germany), Altvater (Austria), Becherovka (Czech Republic), Unicum (Hungary), as well as Benedictine and Chartreuse (France). In Italy, amaro (“bitter”) liqueurs include Cynar and Ramazzotti.