Making Liqueur @museum.de

M: Until the 15th century, expensive brandy was used exclusively for medicinal purposes. The distillate so painstakingly obtained was tellingly called "aqua vitae" – water of life. People knew about the antibacterial effect of alcohol, and one of its uses was in treating wounds.

F: However, the medicine obtained from brandy was quite bitter, so it was usually mixed with sugar or honey. Over time, that mixture was refined – which is how liqueurs came into being. Later, there was a shift to making liqueurs from fruit. So you might say a liqueur is essentially a spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down.

M: Our exhibition includes various utensils that are needed to make liqueur. For example, a ceramic storage jar, a steeping vessel and another pot in which the sugar was dissolved. These days, the proportions are 100 grammes of sugar per litre, roughly equivalent to two ounces per pint. We also have some water demineralisation equipment on display. You need distilled or demineralised water to make liqueur.

F: One liqueur that – in the past at least – was a household essential in Germany was made of common tormentil, potentilla erecta. The herbal liqueur made from its rhizomes is thick and almost black. The rhizomes are steeped for several weeks in a mix of high-proof alcohol and raw cane sugar or rock candy. Sultanas are optional. Common tormentil is regarded as a good remedy for stomach ache or stomach disorders.