Becherovka

Vaulted stone cellars, ancient wooden casks, the glass curves of old bottles, yellowed paper labels. It is an evocative place... and exudes a beautiful aroma.

It has been 200 years since the Becherovka recipe first saw the light of day, or to be more precise the gloom of the Becher pharmacy in the House of the Three Skylarks (U tří skřivanů) in Karlovy Vary. Two hundred years, both sweet and bitter - just like the drink itself. It has experienced a lot, seen a lot… but has always remained the same: delicate and strong, familiar and mysterious, mellow and forever young. Becherovka.

Today, you can taste something from both the past and present of Becherovka at the Jan Becher Museum.

The museum is part of the production plant that replaced the original pharmacy approximately 150 years ago. In addition to commentary (in six languages), audiovisual projections and an exhibition of historical items synonymous with Becherovka, the guided tour also includes a visit to the original cellars and some of the production premises. Some places, on the other hand, are strictly off-limits. For example, the "Drogikamr" room has only ever been entered by the anointed few. Behind its bolted doors, experienced hands gather several times a year to weigh the precise amounts of dried flowers, leaves, bark and ground root in order to carefully mix the fragrant blend of twenty herbs and spices that forms the basis of the future liqueur.

At the end of the tour you can relax in the museum bar. "It somehow tastes better here" is an opinion often voiced here.

The beverage itself is always the same. It is checked every morning by expert tasters, but still... it somehow tastes different at the bar. That is the magic that temperature can work on Becherovka - the flavour and fragrance of this unique liqueur are said to be best at around 4-10 °C. At -18 °C it "grows lazy" and trickles out from the icy bottle into the glass. Its aroma is gently released and then dissolves on the tongue in a new delicious dimension… This, too, is Becherovka. Ice cold. At its best?

There is only one Becherovka, but how to drink it, when and with whom - the options are endless. A popular aperitif, a great digestive, a vital ingredient for many a refreshing cocktail… this all is Becherovka. This is also one of the reasons why it is sold in a variety of shapes and sizes - from the tiny 5cl collectors' bottle, over the "hip flask" with a handy cup, to the venerable three-litre bottle. The gargantuan handmade bottle is part of the Becherovka Collection, the exclusive "blue" series, especially suitable as a gift. The selection in our company shop is extensive, regularly embellished by festive and seasonal packaging.

Whether a bottle of Becherovka makes its way from the shop to the freezer, across the city to friends or travels halfway around the globe as an original souvenir from the Czech Republic, it will surely enchant all who open it.

The Jan Becher Museum with the company shop is located in the centre of the city at: T.G. Masaryka 57, 360 76 Karlovy Vary. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. WE WELCOME RESERVATIONS BY TELEPHONE: +420359578142,186,156, FAX: +420353229421 AND EMAIL: MUZEUM@JAN-BECHER.COM

(Admission: Adults CZK 100, students and pensioners CZK 50)

It would be difficult to find a more original and pleasant guide through time than Becherovka, which has won over several generations of admirers since 1807 and has made Karlovy Vary and the Czech Republic famous throughout the world.