JOS. GARDEN 15 Spritz – Blood Orange

JOS. GARDEN 15 Spritz with blood orange from their own distillate

The JOS. GARDEN 15 Spritz is a bitter-sweet liqueur from the Ehringhausen distillery in Werne, crafted for the hour before a meal. With 15% ABV and a house-distilled blood orange spirit, it focuses on fruit and a refined bitterness rather than sweetness.

Blood orange liqueur is the fruity side of the aperitif, and the 15 Spritz from the JOS. GARDEN collection comes from Werne in Westphalia. To achieve its flavor, the distillery produces its own blood orange distillate instead of purchasing ready-made flavorings, and this is exactly what gives it its depth. Georg Glitz-Ehringhausen introduced it to us himself, with the calm composure of a distiller who knows exactly what is inside the bottle.

Blood orange, refined bitterness, plenty of freshness

It opens in the glass with citrusy, floral, and spicy notes. The nose detects ripe blood orange, followed by a hint of zest and the tart edge that the peel brings with it.

On the palate, it is juicy, zesty, and summery, with a bitter note that emerges late and balances the fruit before it becomes too heavy. The 15% ABV supports the entire profile without overpowering it. The distillery calls this style "bitter-sweet," and the name is spot on: first the sweetness of the orange, then the tart finish.

Those who have found aperitifs too sweet or too sharp in the past will find the perfect middle ground here. This is due to the distillate, as a spirit distilled from blood oranges carries the peel and oils into the glass, whereas a synthetic aroma only mimics the sweetness. That is why this blood orange liqueur tastes like fruit and not candy.

Three parts bubbly, two parts liqueur

The Spritz goes like this: three parts bubbly, two parts liqueur, a splash of soda, plenty of ice, and a slice of orange in the glass.

A dry Prosecco brings the blood orange to the fore and keeps the drink light; that is the obvious starting point. With tonic, it becomes tarter and requires almost no additional sweetness, and with soda alone, it makes for a long summer cooler. The blood orange liqueur also shines served neat over ice, well-chilled at six to eight degrees.

The liqueur pairs well with salty snacks—olives, roasted almonds, or a piece of aged mountain cheese. Serve it in a bulbous wine glass instead of a narrow flute so the citrus notes can breathe. You can find more bottles for this hour in our aperitif selection.

Josef Ehringhausen and his herbariums

The collection bears the name of a great-great-uncle. Josef Ehringhausen was a pharmacist and collected plants throughout his life.

When the family cleared out the old attic, they rediscovered his herbariums—native plants meticulously pressed and labeled, alongside southern European and exotic findings from his travels. This passion for collecting became JOS. GARDEN, the house collection that works with herbs, zests, and aromatics. The gins are part of it, as are the herbal liqueur and the Spritz range.

Distilling takes place in Werne, where Heinrich Glitz and Anneliese Ehringhausen founded the distillery in 1962, and where siblings Theres and Georg have been running the business in the third generation since 2012. The estate is much older; it appeared in records as "Haus Edrinchhausen" as early as 1237. You can find what else the distillery produces in the Ehringhausen distillery range.

The Spritz is available in three strengths: 24% ABV in the Red Spritz, the mild 15% ABV version here, and completely alcohol-free in the JOS. GARDEN Zero Spritz. This means if you are mixing a round, everyone at the table gets the same glass, just in their preferred strength. A version with lime is already in the works, as Georg announced during his visit. That is why "blood orange" is already specified in the name.