Like lovage, it belongs to the Apiaceae family and grows well in gorges, but can also be found in damp meadows and fields. Angelica root smells very spicy, while the taste is initially aromatic to sweet, then bitter, sharp, and burning.

The root is also known as genuine angelica. It gives our AHA EXCELSIOR a special aroma.

It resembles chamomile in appearance and growth but has a mild spicy taste. Due to its gentle pungency, Bertram root is also used as a flavor enhancer. In addition to Roman Bertram, there are other related species such as yellow Bertram (Anacyclus radiatus), club-shaped Bertram (Anacyclus clavatus), or the now very rare German Bertram (Anacyclus officinarum).

The plant belongs to the Asteraceae family. It becomes herbaceous, partly from its stems parallel to the ground, but also with small scattered leaves up to 30 centimeters higher. The petals are white, but the underside is usually pink. As the name implies, only the root, which is simple, spindle-shaped with brown, longitudinally furrowed skin, is harvested in autumn and then used as a natural flavor enhancer in our AHA EXCELSIOR.

The plant is also quite impressive, growing to a height of up to 140 centimeters. It can take up to ten years for this perennial plant to bloom for the first time. It can live for up to 60 years.

The Yellow Gentian is found mainly in mountaineous regions, and is protected as an endangered plant. We use gentian from controlled cultivation for AHA EXCELSIOR.

Yellow Gentian has the necessary high bitterness content, making its roots suitable for alcohol production. The roots of its cousin, Blue Gentian, are not sufficiently bitter. Therefore, we make our AHA EXCELSIOR using Yellow Gentian.

The plant grows like a reed, reaching up to two meters in height and producing yellow-red flowers.

China and India, which have been using ginger as a spice and medicinal herb for 5,000 years, continue to be the main producers of the plant today. This is one reason why ginger continues to be widely used in Asian cuisine.

Although it originated in Asia, ginger was recognized by the ancient Romans as a sign of wealth. Historians tells us that during the Roman Empire, ginger cost as much as a live goat.

In the 18th century, this tasty root found its way into beer and became ginger ale. At that time, it was sprinkled on the crown and then stirred into the drink. This zesty, lemony flavor is perfectly integrated into our AHA EXCELSIOR beverage.

It is especially popular in India, where it is used in teas and curries. It is also well-known in Arab countries, where it is used in coffee.

The seed arrived in Europe over a thousand years ago. This sweet and very flavorful spice is used mainly in the Christmas season. Savory dishes and sweet delicacies are enhanced by cardamom. The spice also enhances many beverages, including our AHA EXCELSIOR.

Today, the plant is less prominent, but nonetheless an indispensable part of our AHA EXCELSIOR.

Lovage originally came from Persia, and spread throughout the entire Mediterranean region. It was particularly popular with the Romans. Benedictine monks brought lovage to Germany from Italy in the eighth century.

As an important plant in monastery gardens, it eventually found its way into AHA EXCELSIOR, giving our herbal liqueur its unique savory note.

Only then does the full aroma and sweet, peppery taste unfold.

The nutmeg originally comes from the Banda Islands, an island group in Indonesia. In the 12th century, the spice arrived in Europe through Arab traders, and a small nut cost as much as half a cow at that time. In the 17th century, the precious seeds sparked a war between Holland and Portugal. The Dutch emerged as winners and controlled European trading of the spice until the 18th century. They dictated prices and made the spice unaffordable for the common people. It was only when a Frenchman managed to smuggle some plants from the island and grow them in France’s colonies that the product became affordable for the middle class.

In the Middle Ages, nutmeg was mainly used to flavor beer, and today it can also be found in our AHA EXCELSIOR.

The iris family plant, which grows to about 30 centimeters high, produces beautiful light blue to violet flowers, from whose stigmas this valuable spice is harvested by hand. Saffron was three times more expensive than pepper over 1,000 years ago, and today its price is many times that.

Arabs and Spaniards have been cultivating saffron for thousands of years, but its exact origin is still debated by scientists. The botanical origin of saffron is likely on Crete and in the Himalayas. The spice became popular during the time of the ancient Egyptians, as referenced in the Ebers Papyrus. Its exclusive red threads were also mentioned in the Old Testament and in some ancient Greek and Roman texts.

The name saffron comes from Arabic and means “to be yellow”. Yellow was considered a sacred color of the ruling class, as demonstrated by the yellow shoes of the Babylonian kings or the saffron-yellow garments of Greek women. Saffron gives our AHA EXCELSIOR a bitter, aromatic, and oriental touch.

The place of origin of Indian snake root is India. From there, the plant spread to Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. Snake root is an evergreen, upright shrub that grows in tropical areas and reaches a height of 50 to 100 centimeters. Rauwolfia serpentina flowers in between April and May.

The Indian snake root was mentioned in Ayurvedic texts in the 7th century BC. This exotic plant did not reach Europe in the early 18th century, when it was discovered on research expeditions. Rauwolfia was named by the French botanist Charles Plumier (1646-1704) in honor of German botanist Leonhard Rauwolf (1535-1596). The name Serpentina is considered to be a reference to the snake-like shape of the plant.

While star anise is known to many as a winter and Christmas spice, it has been known and valued in China for around 5,000 years. Star anise tastes like licorice, and is also spicy and slightly hot. Its taste is reminiscent of anise and fennel seeds.

The star anise tree blooms in spring. During its ripening period, the star anise fruits burst open, revealing between their sections eight to ten shiny brown “stars”. These stars are harvested and then dried until they are hard and woody. Star anise is sold as a whole fruit or grinding spice. It is used to add flavor to mulled wine, tea blends, and our AHA EXCELSIOR.

The roots taste 50 times sweeter than cane sugar. Licorice produces a hint of sweetness in AHA EXCELSIOR.

The licorice plant came from India and China. This shrub grows up to two meters in height and has beautiful pale lilac to blue-violet flowers. The licorice plant was transported to Europe centuries ago and is also found in the Mediterranean region. Its yellowish roots were noted in herbaceous books from the late Middle Ages.

Licorice roots have a long history of medical use for treating a variety of conditions including lung, circulatory, and kidney diseases.

They resemble cloves, which give this spice the nicknames “cinnamon cloves” and “clove cinnamon.” The cinnamon tree produces only a few young buds, making the spice a rare delicacy.

When dried, these blossoms have a spicy scent of cinnamon. Their aroma is warm, cinnamon, floral, and sweet-spicy, but due to the lack of woody notes it is somewhat milder than that of cinnamon sticks. The taste of cinnamon blossoms can also be described as pleasantly bittersweet. This fruity-sweet combination of cinnamon and cloves therefore fits perfectly into our AHA EXCELSIOR.

As one of the world's oldest spices, cinnamon has been used in China for thousands of years, and known there as "Gui." Its history includes numerous legends and myths. For example, the ancient Romans believed that cinnamon came from the nests of cinnamon birds. It is believed that these myths were invented to drive up the price of cinnamon.