The bearberry plant has been a valued spice and medicinal plant for centuries. In Germany, the Bärwurz, which is characterized by an intense inherent odor, is increasingly found in the Bavarian Forest. Therefore, the distilleries established themselves there as well, which helped the bearwort to become very famous in the form of a spirit. In the production process of the spirit, the roots of the bearwort are used, giving the alcoholic beverage its distinctive taste.
The Bärwurz – the masculine article is used to designate the spirit – holds a rendezvous in a special edition of the Freising Diocesan Museum on the Freising Cathedral Hill. The bottle made of reddish-brown stoneware captivates with its unusual label: The bear is understood here not only as a pun for the “Bärwurz”, but also as an attribute of St. Korbinian, the first bishop of Freising in the 8th century.
Bärwurz is produced by the Bärwurzerei Hieke in the Bavarian Forest. Hieke is a traditional family business based in Zwiesel. Zwiesel is known for its glass production, but also for its Bärwurzereien. The Bärwurzerei Hieke started in 1949 with Heinrich Hieke and his wife Maria. Due to the increasing demand, they founded the “Bärwurzerei Hieke” in 1958. They expanded the recipes, constantly refined them, and today use the double distillation process to produce the root spirit, which is especially popular as a digestif.
Content: 0,35l
Alcohol: 45 %vol