Karlovy Vary produces a popular herbal liquor called Becherovka (sometimes also referred to as “the 14th spring”). This bittersweet classic among Czech liquors is based on a secret recipe, which was first put together by Jan Becher in a Karlovy Vary pharmacy (now the Jan Becher Museum) in 1807 and which, it is said, is only known to two people today. The ingredients are simple and purely natural: Karlsbad water, alcohol, sugar and a mixture of herbs and spices. You can drink Becherovka straight or use it as a base for cocktails.
Visit the Jan Becher Museum to take a tour of the Becherovka distillery and original cellars, to taste the centuries old liquor right where it’s made, and to buy a bottle in the Becherovka factory shop to bring home a great Karlovy Vary souvenir.
Jan Becher Museum
T. G. Masaryka 57
360 76 Karlovy Vary
www.becherovka.cz