Alter Herborner Aquavit
Herborn, Hessen, Germany
- ABV
- 40%
- Base spirit
- Unknown
- Color
- Unknown
- Style
- Unaged Aquavit
Alter Herborner Aquavit was a German aquavit distilled in Herborn, Hesse, by Kring Getränke GmbH and bottled at 40% vol. Its label describes it as über Dill destillierter Aquavit (“aquavit distilled over/with dill”), explicitly documenting dill as part of the distillation, although the complete botanical recipe is unknown. The bottle shown has a nominal volume of 0.7 litres and is made in a brown glazed ceramic/stoneware style.
The product was closely tied to its place of origin. The illustration at the top of the label depicts Herborn’s historic town hall on the Marktplatz, one of the characteristic buildings of the old town. The name Alter Herborner likewise refers directly to Herborn rather than to a separate brand or botanical style.
The old four-digit postcode 6348 Herborn indicates that this bottle version dates from before July 1993, when Germany switched to five-digit postal codes.
About the producer
Kring Getränke GmbH
Herborn, Hessen, Germany
Kring Getränke GmbH was a beverage producer, distillery and liqueur manufacturer based at Mühlgasse 6 in Herborn, Hesse. The company operated under the description “Destillation und Likörfabrik Kring Getränke GmbH” and produced regional spirits and other beverages alongside its distribution business.
Kring presented itself as the successor to an older Herborn firm through the wording “Kring, vorm. Weyell seit 1823”. The Weyell name has an independently documented connection with distilling in the town: historical trade directories list J. C. Weyell in Herborn as a Brennerei in 1902, 1906 and 1929. The exact date and circumstances of the transition from Weyell to Kring have not yet been established, so 1823 is best treated as the historical continuity claimed by the business rather than the founding date of Kring Getränke GmbH itself.
The company used an emblem depicting Herborn’s historic town hall, an image that also appears on the label of Alter Herborner Aquavit. This linked Kring’s products closely with the town and its local identity.
Kring Getränke GmbH remained active in Herborn until the company was eventually removed from the commercial register on 12 December 2018 because it had no remaining assets.