If you go to bars in Reno regularly, you have probably at one point seen a group of people, including the bartender, grab a tiny, paper-covered bottle by their teeth, tilt their head back, and drink.
You have just witnessed the ritual of drinking an Underberg. That iconic, paper-wrapped 20-milliliter bottle has become beloved by bartenders and has earned its place as one of Reno’s official bartender handshakes, a drink commonly bought by members of the beverage industry for one another. Today, let’s dive deeper into this tiny but mighty bottle.
Underberg is a German herbal digestif, a category of spirits that is part distillation and part old-world medicine. Digestifs go back as far as the creation of alcohol itself, because as long as we have been drinking, we have wanted something to soothe our tummies. Almost every culture has a version of a digestive tonic. Some use teas and shrubs, but most use alcohol to extract a botanical’s wellness benefits. Monks in the Middle Ages made these digestive aids; in the Renaissance, world travel gave way to more spices finding their way into new digestifs; and in the 17th and 18th centuries, distillers were creating products specifically to be consumed after meals.
Hubert Underberg founded his namesake brand in 1846. Originally opening a small pharmacy and distillery in Rheinberg, Germany, Underberg focused on creating medicinal and digestive remedies. He developed a formula that combined various herbs, which he believed improved the drinker’s digestion and overall wellness. This formula was the basis for the Underberg digestif, which now uses a secret blend of botanicals from more than 40 countries. To this day, Underberg is still made by a family-owned company using traditional methods, leading to a classic flavor that can be polarizing.
When you ask bartenders what Underberg tastes like, you get a lot of answers.
“It tastes like you just walked into your neighborhood bar,” said Brian Mandio, a bartender at Cosmo’s Snack Bar.
Anna Vetter, owner of the mobile bar Ramblin’ Libations, describes Underberg’s flavor as “if a mouthful of dirt was a cocktail.”
In reality, Underberg is lightly sweet, wickedly bitter and incredibly herbaceous, with massive notes of clove and cinnamon. The bitter flavor aids digestion; when we taste bitter things, our bodies respond by salivating and digesting. This feeling can be off-putting—but wonderfully bracing once you discover a love for bitters.
So how did this wild-tasting, weird little bottle become popular with bartenders? Due to its niche nature, and because it’s considered bitters, which has different rules for sale than traditional alcohol, Underberg was long found only in German restaurants and at a select few locations.
“I remember Underberg being only at Corrigan’s and behind the bar at Bavarian World back in the late ’90s,” legendary bartender Dave Serna told me. “When we first opened Chapel Tavern (where 40 Mile Saloon is now), we would do ‘dial-a-Berg’ with the folks at Corrigan’s. One bar would call the other, and staff and regulars would walk outside of each bar, stare at each other down Vesta Street, and raise a Berg.”
Some places require you to lift the little bottle with your teeth without using your hands. Some bars require you to place your empty bottle on its side, or be punished by having to buy the next round.
This tradition led to a new generation of bartenders and regulars learning about the bitter bottle and creating their drinking rituals with the “Berg.”
Every bar has its own rules for drinking Underberg. Some places require you to lift the little bottle with your teeth without using your hands. Some bars require you to place your empty bottle on its side, or be punished by having to buy the next round. One thing is always certain—once one Underberg is drunk, more follow.
“The first one you drink for them; the second is for you; and all the rest after that is out of camaraderie,” said Joey Parazo, bartender at Royce.
This feeling of ritual and tradition fuels Underberg’s cult—but the little green cap keeps some hardcore bitters lovers coming back for more.
“A lot of Underberg’s intrigue lies in its unique packaging and the lore surrounding its bottle caps,” explained Nick Hogan, owner of Mover and Shaker, a bartending apparel and lifestyle company. On top of the little bottles are tiny green caps that can be sent to the distillery for exclusive branded merch. Prizes like the coveted Underberg toy truck and a bandoleer attract the most die-hard bitter aficionados.
“What other spirit rewards you for punishing yourself with its slow drip and uber-abrasive taste?” Hogan said.
Love or hate it, Underberg is a rite of passage for those who have spent long hours in Reno bars. While the flavor may be bold, nothing is quite like the quiet instant when an entire bar top worth of folks has their heads tilted back, Underberg gripped in their teeth, together in a bitter moment.
Serna said it best: “I consider it a form of self-flagellation of my taste buds—penance for living my life in a bar.”
At the now long-gone, 24/7, Velvet Hammer bar in the also long-gone Round Hill Mall near Zephyr Cove, the bartenders – including Hammer Harry and Wavy Davy (also of Dayton’s End of the Trail Saloon and Restaurant fame) – would recommend and serve Fernet-Branca to customers both for hangovers and upset stomachs. Used and “enjoyed” very much like Underberg. It usually worked!