Gammel Dansk Halvbitter is a new way to drink Gammel Dansk. As implied by the name, we have toned down the bitterness of the flavour. On the other hand, we have added an extra flavour boost with honey and raw liquorice, which adds a sweet counterpart to the familiar bitter flavour.
The actual mixture of the 29 different herbs, spices and flowers from all over the world and their relative quantities are one of Denmark's most closely guarded secrets
Originally, Gammel Dansk came about simply because the sales of another liquor, that had previously been very popular, were in decline. In simple terms, Danske Spritfabrikker’s distillation plant in Roskilde had too few orders, so towards the end of the 1950s, factory manager J.K. Asmund announced
”This factory urgently needs a new product, if it is to have any hope of staying open. I am willing to take on the challenge of coming up with a new product. I have studied herbs and have an idea about how we could make a new drink.”
It could be that J.K. Asmund had the first written accounts of Danish bitters in mind. These date as far back as the middle of the 16th century. It was during this period that Danish-Norwegian King Frederik 2 was introduced to bitters by Anna of Saxony, the wife of an Elector.
In any event, the company’s management held Asmund to his word and he was the first factory manager at Danske Spritfabrikker to develop a new product.
After an endless variety of combinations, Gammel Dansk as we know it today was born in 1964. Not a sweet bitter flavour, or something tasting of medication, but a flavour that was in harmony.
Never like any other.
The real secret behind Gammel Dansk’s unique bitter flavour comes from the mixture ratio of the 29 different herbs, spices and flowers, which include angelica root, nutmeg, aniseed, ginger and rowanberries.
Until it was launched in 1964, J.K. Asmund and his staff were at complete liberty to mix ingredients until they came up with the right flavour. The Danish counterpart to the competing bitters from abroad was intended to be bitter (of course!) yet not too sharp.
No single flavour ingredient was allowed to dominate the overall taste experience, so it took a lot of trial and error by Asmund, his employees and their families, involving the selection and taste sampling of the ingredients that give Gammel Dansk the right aromatic, sharp and bitter characteristics.
More than one hundred different herbal substances were tested (raw or partially processed material from plants for the manufacture of medicinal products), and it was not until three years after Asmund’s initial idea about what Gammel Dansk could be, that the final recipe and taste were approved.
The actual mixture of the 29 different herbs, spices and flowers from all over the world and their relative quantities are one of Denmark's most closely guarded secrets
It is no secret that rowanberries and the other 28 ingredients all contribute to the unique flavour.
But we are not going to tell you precisely how and at what stage of production the special chemistry takes place, that makes Gammel Dansk so different from all the others.
After the ingredients have been processed and mixed in the right proportions, they are left to relax in 96% pure alcohol for three months, before water is added and the alcohol percentage drops to 38%. The final product is then tapped into bottles, ready to be enjoyed.
The characteristic bottle was designed by architect Bent Severin of Kastrup Glasværk.
The shape of the bottle’s neck is designed specially to produce a totally unique “chuckling” sound that you can hear as soon as Gammel Dansk is being poured. This is also a sound that stands out from the crowd.
The special shape, with its soft, well-shaped curves makes the Gammel Dansk bottle easily recognisable, whether with morning coffee, with a beer, at parties, get-togethers, celebrations, festivals or just for pleasure.
The real secret (and this has always been the secret) is ensuring that no single ingredient dominates the overall experience, which is also the case with Gammel Dansk Shot.
All good things have to start somewhere. For Gammel Dansk Shot with chilli and liquorice, it starts with the aroma of the secret blend of ingredients that you already familiar with, from classic Gammel Dansk Bitter Dram.
”We have toned down the bitterness of Bitter Dram somewhat, while retaining its soul and complexity”
The real secret (and this has always been the secret) is ensuring that no single ingredient dominates the overall experience, which is also the case with Gammel Dansk Shot. The initial flavour note is the mild, gentle taste of liquorice, or rather the carefully blended mixture of raw liquorice, aniseed, fennel and star anise, after which the unique interplay of the 29 different herbs, berries, bark, roots, spices and flowers. And then ingredient number 30 hits your palate; the chilli. You could almost say that the flavour comes creeping up on you. Not too much, but not too little either. Just the right amount to elegantly sweeten the experience, completing the full enjoyment of a shot that tastes like nothing else out there.
Gammel Dansk Shot is completely unique, as are the occasions where you should enjoy it.
”But... an ice-cold beer is an excellent choice of accompaniment”
Some people would probably argue that Gammel Dansk Shot is a sign to really get the party moving, where others would claim that it is the perfect companion for a quiet evening. Whether you prefer to enjoy it with a cold beer, a morning dip, a gourmet meal, as the special extra addition to a long-awaited evening of poker, or if you simply have something to celebrate or just fancy a bit of pampering, is completely up to you.
One thing is for sure; it is not like most other shots, just as you are not like most other people.
”When everyone else is preoccupied, you might as well just be yourself”
It is almost impossible to walk down a Danish street and bump into anyone who is not familiar with Gammel Dansk, or has an opinion of some kind about whether it tastes good or not. That’s just the way it is with anything that dares to stand out. When the familiar bottle is placed on the table, some people will politely decline. Others will find it a wonderful way to start the day. Others again will consider it a fun way of “proving their manhood”.
And now it is the turn of Gammel Dansk Shot to establish its own traditions, or borrow one or two. But let’s go right back to the very beginning.
Gammel Dansk Shot is the end result of many years of focused work towards the development of a worthy sibling to our classic product, Bitter Dram. Even when Gammel Dansk Shot was just a notion, we were already very aware that the soft flavour of liquorice should have a prominent role.
But it was also the case that there were already numerous different liquorice shots available in bars and supermarkets, so we had to spend a lot of time thinking about how to come up with something that was both unique and original. We considered a lot of ideas, but ended up choosing chilli as our thirtieth ingredient.
We think that chilli is the perfect partner; not only for liquorice, but also for the 29 other ingredients. Liquorice is mild and welcoming, whereas chilli offers heat and bite. We hope that you are just as enthusiastic about the end result as we are. Skål!
With chilli and liquorice, Gammel Dansk Shot is completely unique, while still on good terms with its older sibling. It contains exactly the same ingredients as original Gammel Dansk Bitter Dram, including angelica root, nutmeg, ginger and rowanberries.
”29 old friends, with a new friend who is rather strong.”
Actually, all we did was to alter the ingredient mixture ratios, to achieve a new, welcoming flavour. Or perhaps not so… Because there is after all our thirtieth ingredient; the chilli. It goes extremely well with the 29 classic ingredients, producing a warm aftertaste that diffuses into a big, broad smile.
It is no secret that chilli and liquorice and the other 28 ingredients all contribute to the unique flavour.
”Completely natural And never just one of the crowd.”
But we are not going to tell you precisely how and at what stage of production the special magic takes place, that makes Gammel Dansk Shot so different from all the others. On the other hand we really do want to tell you that it is of course made of completely natural ingredients, with no artificial additives whatsoever.
After the 30 ingredients have been processed and mixed in the right proportions, they are left to do their stuff in a carefully measured mixture of water and alcohol that (just like the mixture ratio of the 30 ingredients) is a well-kept secret, as the relationship between water and alcohol is also very important to the final flavour. But there is no secret about the final alcohol percentage. After a while, it reaches 32%, after which the finished product is tapped into bottles, ready for you to enjoy.
The characteristic bottle was designed by architect Bent Severin of Kastrup Glasværk.
The shape of the bottle’s neck is designed specially to produce a totally unique “chuckling” sound that you can hear as soon as Gammel Dansk is being poured. This is also a sound that stands out from the crowd.
The special shape, with its soft, well-shaped curves makes the Gammel Dansk bottle easily recognisable, whether with morning coffee, with a beer, at parties, get-togethers, celebrations, festivals or just for pleasure.
We’ve toned down the bitterness, while remaining faithful to our philosophy that a shot should have a bit of a bite.
Gammel Dansk Halvbitter is, well, half as bitter as its older sibling.
It is a new way of drinking Gammel Dansk. As the name suggests, we have toned down the amount of bitterness, while remaining faithful to our philosophy that a shot should have some kind of a bite.
”Bitter Dram now has a younger and slightly sweeter sibling”
Because we still need to be challenged and to get out of our comfort zone. This is where we really develop as human beings. We have therefore updated the old recipe and produced a Halvbitter for those who are not quite up to the intense bitter flavour of the original, but who still want to feel that they are alive.
As the drink travels from the glass to your stomach, you are met by a flavour that is both sweet and spicy at the same time. Halvbitter contains the classic herbs and spices that you may recognise, but it still very much a standalone product. Honey and raw liquorice have been added, to increase the sweetness. This provides a great counterpart to the familiar bitter flavour that otherwise characterises Bitter Dram. It makes the new Halvbitter both sharp and sweet at the same time, rather like a canoe trip in the pouring rain, but with a perfect tailwind.
”A bitter-sweet pleasure”
The natural ingredients are one thing we haven’t changed about our new Halvbitter.
The unique combination of natural herbs encompasses a great number of different flavour impressions. These come from the well known ingredients such as fennel, star anise, orange flower, cardamom, rowanberries and wormwood, all of which are in harmony with the sweet honey and raw liquorice; two ingredients which provides a sweet counterpart to the familiar sharp flavour of Gammel Dansk, making the “half” in “Halvbitter”, which is Danish for “half-bitter”.
”An ice cube won’t ruin the flavour, neither will an open-air bonfire”
Manufacture is characterised by good old-fashion craftsmanship, if we may say so. Halvbitter is the result of thorough taste-testing of a long list of fruit juices, extracts and distillates made from completely natural spices such as berries, bark, flowers and herbs. This as been bottled and given the name Gammel Dansk Halvbitter. A bottle that of course retains its characteristic appearance.
Even though Gammel Dansk Halvbitter is a relative newcomer, it is still available at various bars and pubs all over Denmark. We recommend that you enjoy it neat, or with an ice cube. It is less bitter than its predecessor, but not so much has changed with the alcohol percentage. With 30% alcohol strength, Gammel Dansk Halvbitter should still be enjoyed in moderation, just like so many other things in life.
We are perfectly aware that Gammel Dansk puts your tastebuds to the test, that Gammel Dansk is something some people have to get used to the taste of. You might call it an exercise in acclimatisation. The same could be said about coffee, or even beer when it comes down to it. After all, not everyone is enamoured with the characteristic bitter flavour on their first encounter. Halvbitter is a kind of outreach to those people. It is a kind of halfway meeting, where the not so bitter flavour and added sweetness function as a fantastic alternative to the intense bitterness of the original, which retaining some of the complexity and strength.
Gammel Dansk tastes just like nature; not just because of the traditions surrounding the Danes’ favourite bitter, but also because the two have a great deal in common.
Gammel Dansk tastes just like nature; not just because of the traditions surrounding the Danes’ favourite bitter, but also because the two have a great deal in common. Both should be a little rough around the edges. For just as you would never take a soft cushion with you on a camping trip with the guys, neither would you make a bitter that is too mild.
We should challenge ourselves every now and then. And just as we sometimes try and get out of our comfort zones, our tastebuds sometimes need a challenge too. Resistance helps us to develop and grow.
Resistance helps us to get to know more about each other and become closer. So let’s go out and try to find something new, an experience like no other.
We all have our own preferences about when to enjoy Gammel Dansk. We may also have our own personal memories and associations.
For some of us, Gammel Dansk is a natural start to the day. For others it guarantees a good night’s sleep. For some, a Gammel Dansk toast is the way to get a festive event off to a start. For others, Gammel Dansk is hard rocking, separates the boys from the men and puts hair on your chest, alongside a cold draught beer or two.
We’d love to know what you think is the best time to enjoy a Gammel Dansk. Click on our Facebook page and tell us your opinion. Or upload a picture on our Instagram profile #gammeldansk
Gammel Dansk participated in the silver wedding anniversary of Queen Margrethe of Denmark and Prince Henrik.
When he was foreign minister, Uffe Elleman-Jensen would offer foreign colleagues a dram of Gammel Dansk.
Former Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen was proud to offer Gammel Dansk to visitors to Marienborg.
Bill and Hillary Clinton enjoyed a Gammel Dansk during the 1997 presidential visit.
We would be very pleased to hear from you if you have any questions:
info@ddskas.dk
Århusgade 88, 5. th.
DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø
Tel.: (+45) 35 26 22 22
www.ddskas.dk
E-mail: info@ddskas.dk
Besøgsadresse:
Destilleriveien 11, P. Box 64
1483 Hagan, Norway
Tlf: +47 6706 5000
www.arcus.no
E-mail: post@arcusgruppen.no
We are passionate about creating great moments. We want to help our customers enjoy themselves – at home, in restaurants, or in bars and clubs. We are proud of our products. We generate revenue, we create good places to work, and we preserve Nordic culture. But we are also aware of the dark side of alcohol. We have to take both its good and its bad aspects into account. At Arcus we are as keen as everyone else to live in a safe and healthy society. Arcus is a leading Nordic wine and spirits company, and we have always taken our corporate social responsibility seriously. We will continue to do so in the future.
That is why we say: Think before you drink. Make great moments even better.
Last updated: 13 August 2018
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