Lehment Rostocker Aquavit
Nörten-Hardenberg, Lower Saxony, Germany
Lehment Rostocker Aquavit is produced according to the long-standing recipe of Conrad Lehment, whose distillery was founded in Rostock in 1864 and today operates under Hardenberg-Wilthen AG. It is an aquavit built on a botanical core of dill, coriander and fennel, combined with a house-made distillate. After maceration and redistillation, the spirit undergoes maturation in oak casks, which is explicitly stated by the producer. This barrel treatment gives the aquavit its gold-yellow color and a noticeably milder, more rounded character compared to unaged North German styles. The oak influence is described as subtle, supporting the herbal profile without dominating it.
The bottle retains the historic “Mann un Fru” emblem – an old Hanseatic trademark associated with Lehment since the 19th century. Lehment Rostocker is positioned as the aquavit that continues the original Rostock tradition, now produced by Hardenberg-Wilthen, one of Germany’s oldest distilling families (established 1700). According to brand information, the recipe is still based on the same principles used by Conrad Lehment and later his son Ernst, whose products helped spread the Mann-un-Fru bottles throughout northern Germany.
Bottle gallery
About the producer
Hardenberg Wilthen AG
Nörten-Hardenberg, Lower Saxony, Germany
Hardenberg-Wilthen AG is one of Germany’s oldest and largest spirits producers, with documented origins dating back to 1700, when Fritz-Dietrich von Hardenberg founded the Gräflich von Hardenberg’sche Kornbrennerei at the foot of Hardenberg Castle in Nörten-Hardenberg. The company has remained family-owned for over three centuries and is represented by the historic boar’s head crest, tied to a 14th-century family legend.
Through expansions and acquisitions, Hardenberg-Wilthen today operates two major production sites: the Hardenberg distillery in Lower Saxony and the Wilthen wine distillery in Saxony (established 1842 and acquired in 1992). The portfolio includes Korn, herbal liqueurs, brandies, Danziger Goldwasser, and the Original Lehment Rostocker line, which the company took over in 2012.
Lehment Rostocker products – Doppel-Kümmel, Aquavit, and related herbal spirits—trace their roots to the Rostock distillery founded by Conrad Lehment in 1864. Hardenberg-Wilthen produces them according to the preserved recipes and brand identity, including the traditional “Mann un Fru” emblem. With an annual output placing the company among Germany’s leading spirit manufacturers, Hardenberg-Wilthen combines historical North German brands with modern distillation at the Hardenberg Distillery, opened in 2019.