Golfers Ginseng Elixir – 50ml

Golfer's Ginseng Elixir as a miniature for your golf bag

The Golfer's Ginseng Elixir in a small bottle brings Dr. Jaglas' herbal bitter in a travel size. Ginseng root as the base, surrounded by over thirty herbs, with a finish of licorice and forest notes. Fits in every bag and gift basket.

The Golfer's Ginseng Elixir is a digestive with 35% ABV, here bottled in a 50 ml miniature. It is the same bitter that earned its name at the clubhouse, just in a quantity perfect for two glasses. As a small gift for golfers, it is practically unrivaled.

Earthy, spicy, and robust

The bitter starts with a clear root note reminiscent of licorice, then opens up with spice and concludes with a fine resinous quality.

The entire experience is anchored by the ginseng root, complemented by gentian, centaury, cinchona bark, and bitter orange peel for bitterness. Ginger, cardamom, clove, cinnamon bark, and galangal add warmth, while valerian, lavender, and a hint of saffron provide subtle nuances.

Unlike many herbal liqueurs, it remains dry. The sweetness serves as a counterbalance rather than the main act, which is why the bitter doesn't get tiresome even after the second glass.

The color is derived solely from the herbs. Caramel coloring, which tints many dark spirits, is not present in this bottle – which you can tell by the fact that the tone is more amber than black-brown.

Two glasses, one souvenir, one test

The miniature is intended for tasting. Pour 20 ml, let the bitter stand at about 18 degrees, and enjoy it slowly.

Roquefort or dark chocolate pick up the root note with salt and cocoa bitterness, respectively. Served on ice, it becomes more accessible because the cold tones down the sweetness and lets the herbs come through more clearly.

As a gift, the small bottle hits a specific target audience quite precisely. It fits in the side pocket of a golf bag, in a gift basket, or as an accompaniment to a greeting card, without having to give away a whole bottle.

The format is also perfect for a herbal bitter tasting. Place three miniatures side by side, pour 20 ml each, and let the group guess which one contains artichoke, which one ginseng, and which one maca root. The differences are greater than the shared base recipe might suggest.

If it proves to be a success, the 500 ml Golfer's Ginseng Elixir is ready. Those who want to compare simultaneously can add the Artichoke Elixir or the Maca Ginseng Elixir in the same size.

A root that takes its time

Ginseng is not a plant for the impatient. It takes years in the ground before a root can even be harvested.

That is exactly what makes it interesting for a herbal bitter. Where fast-growing herbs carry their aroma primarily in essential oils, much of the ginseng’s potency lies in the root substance itself – earthy, tart, with that trace of licorice that one does not expect when hearing the word "root."

For the Jagla family, it was therefore the logical addition to their traditional monastery elixir. The recipe had plenty of herbs and flowers, but what it lacked was a strong foundation – and a root provides that better than any leaf.

The bitter is prepared via cold maceration in small batches at the Park-Apotheke in the Luisenviertel district of Elberfeld in Wuppertal, which is run by Helmut Jagla. It is then left to mature for months.

The herbal specialties were meant to reach beyond the Bergisches Land region, says Christina Jagla of her move to Berlin in late 2015. Today, the elixirs can be found in bars and top-tier gastronomy, including the three-star Rutz restaurant. You can find the entire Dr. Jaglas assortment in the manufacturer hub.