Gammel Dansk
Encyclopedia
Gammel Dansk is a Danish
alcoholic beverage
produced by Danish Distillers Ltd. (De Danske Spritfabrikker A/S) in Dalby, Denmark in southeast Zealand (Sjælland). Traditionally it was drunk by Danes at certain festive occasions, often in connection with breakfast
meals, brunch or at wedding anniversaries and birthday celebrations (which in Denmark traditionally begins in the morning). The name "Gammel Dansk" translates directly from Danish
as "Old Danish".
liquor and was originally created to become a competitor on the Danish market to other bitters such as Underberg
and Fernet Branca
. It is matured with 29 types of herbs, spices and even flowers, making it similar to other stomach bitters, such as Peychaud's Bitters
or Jägermeister
- though it has gained no mainstream popularity, like last mentioned. These herbs and spices include angelica
, star anise
, nutmeg
, anise
, ginger
, laurel
, gentian
, Seville orange and cinnamon
, and several others. The complete recipe is naturally kept secret.
. Three years later the production of the bitter started, and it has since become one of the most recognizable strong alcoholic beverages on the Danish market.
In 2007 Danish Distillers launched a new product which, as a tribute to J.K. Asmund, was labeled Asmund Special.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
produced by Danish Distillers Ltd. (De Danske Spritfabrikker A/S) in Dalby, Denmark in southeast Zealand (Sjælland). Traditionally it was drunk by Danes at certain festive occasions, often in connection with breakfast
Breakfast
Breakfast is the first meal taken after rising from a night's sleep, most often eaten in the early morning before undertaking the day's work...
meals, brunch or at wedding anniversaries and birthday celebrations (which in Denmark traditionally begins in the morning). The name "Gammel Dansk" translates directly from Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
as "Old Danish".
Description
Gammel Dansk is a bittersBitters
A bitters is an alcoholic beverage that is flavored with herbal essences and has a bitter or bittersweet flavor. There are numerous brands of bitters that were formerly marketed as patent medicines but are now considered to be digestifs, rather than medicines...
liquor and was originally created to become a competitor on the Danish market to other bitters such as Underberg
Underberg
Underberg is a digestif bitter produced in Germany by Underberg AG, made of aromatic herbs from 43 countries. The exact number and identity of the herbs remain a well-guarded secret.-History:...
and Fernet Branca
Fernet Branca
Fernet is a type of amaro, a bitter, aromatic spirit. Fernet is made from a number of herbs and spices which vary according to the brand, but usually include myrrh, rhubarb, chamomile, cardamom, aloe, and especially saffron, with a base of grape distilled spirits, and coloured with caramel colouring...
. It is matured with 29 types of herbs, spices and even flowers, making it similar to other stomach bitters, such as Peychaud's Bitters
Peychaud's Bitters
Peychaud's Bitters, originally created around 1830 by Antoine Amédée Peychaud, a Creole apothecary from the French colony of Saint-Domingue, now Haiti, who settled in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1795, is distributed by Sazerac. It is a gentian-based bitters, comparable to Angostura bitters, but with...
or Jägermeister
Jägermeister
Jägermeister is a German 70-proof digestif made with 56 different herbs and spices. It is the flagship product of Mast-Jägermeister SE, headquartered in Wolfenbüttel, south of Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany.- History :...
- though it has gained no mainstream popularity, like last mentioned. These herbs and spices include angelica
Angelica
Angelica is a genus of about 60 species of tall biennial and perennial herbs in the family Apiaceae, native to temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, reaching as far North as Iceland and Lapland...
, star anise
Star anise
Illicium verum, commonly called Star anise, star aniseed, or Chinese star anise, is a spice that closely resembles anise in flavor, obtained from the star-shaped pericarp of Illicium verum, a small native evergreen tree of northeast Vietnam and southwest China...
, nutmeg
Nutmeg
The nutmeg tree is any of several species of trees in genus Myristica. The most important commercial species is Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree indigenous to the Banda Islands in the Moluccas of Indonesia...
, anise
Anise
Anise , Pimpinella anisum, also called aniseed, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. Its flavor resembles that of liquorice, fennel, and tarragon.- Biology :...
, ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
, laurel
Bay Laurel
The bay laurel , also known as sweet bay, bay tree, true laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel tree, or simply laurel, is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glossy leaves, native to the Mediterranean region. It is the source of the bay leaf used in cooking...
, gentian
Gentian
Gentiana is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Gentian family , tribe Gentianeae and monophyletic subtribe Gentianinae. With about 400 species, it is considered a large genus.-Habitat:...
, Seville orange and cinnamon
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
, and several others. The complete recipe is naturally kept secret.
History
The development of Gammel Dansk commenced in 1964 and was led by master blender J.K. Asmund who also worked as factory manager for Danish Distillers in RoskildeRoskilde
Roskilde is the main city in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark on the island of Zealand. It is an ancient city, dating from the Viking Age and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network....
. Three years later the production of the bitter started, and it has since become one of the most recognizable strong alcoholic beverages on the Danish market.
In 2007 Danish Distillers launched a new product which, as a tribute to J.K. Asmund, was labeled Asmund Special.