What Is Underberg? It’s Taking US Bars by Storm
A Bright, Bitter, Strange Little Bottle With a Big Story: The Underberg
If you’ve ever visited Revelry in Pompano Beach, you’ve probably seen a tiny paper-wrapped bottles lining the windows that say Underberg. Maybe you watched a guest knock one back in a single smooth motion. Maybe you stared at the bottle and wondered, what on earth is that? Maybe you even saw a group line up in a “U45” formation and drink together like it was a secret ritual.
That bottle is Underberg. And lately, it’s not just a Revelry thing — it’s a national story. Over the past year, outlets from Washington Post to Food and Wine have written about how this tiny German digestif quietly became one of the industry’s favorite rituals. So we figured it was time to tell our own version of the story: what Underberg actually is, why bartenders everywhere treat it like a secret handshake, and how it became a full-blown tradition here at Revelry — long before most of the country caught on.
What Exactly Is Underberg?
Underberg is a German herbal digestif that comes in a single-shot, 20 ml bottle wrapped in brown paper, with a bright green foil cap. The recipe hasn’t changed much since 1846, and neither has the bottle.
It’s not a liqueur meant for sipping, and it’s not built for cocktails. At 44% ABV (88 proof), it’s meant for one purpose: digestion. The blend draws on herbs and botanicals sourced from 43 countries, and the exact recipe is a closely guarded family secret, reportedly known to only a handful of people across five generations of the Underberg family.
Here’s the detail most people don’t know, and the one that explains why the little bottle is suddenly everywhere: in the United States, Underberg is classified by the FDA as a food product rather than a distilled spirit. That quirk of regulation means bars and breweries can legally pour it even if they only hold a beer-and-wine license — no full liquor license required. It’s a big part of why Underberg shows up behind the bar at taprooms and breweries that couldn’t otherwise serve a shot of anything. It’s actually why Revelry was serving them in the original Lake Worth location that was just Beer & Wine
Why You Should Try One
A few reasons to join the tradition:
- It helps settle your stomach after a big meal
- It wakes you up in a clean, sharp way
- It brings people together
- It tastes like history in a bottle
- It’s fun to drink straight from the bottle
- It’s a genuine piece of the Revelry experience
- You can add your cap to our growing collection
If you want a small adventure in a small bottle, this is it.
What Does Underberg Taste Like?
There’s no easy comparison, but Paste Magazine got close, describing it as aggressively herbal with prominent anise and licorice notes — thick, medicinal, almost like a full bottle of Fernet-Branca boiled down and reduced into a single tiny container or as a less sweet and syrupy Jager.
It is not sweet. There’s no syrup, no sugar. It tastes like roots, bark, and old-world herbal medicine, and the finish is warm and dry. It’s not a drink everyone loves on the first try, but plenty of people become devoted fans after their second or third bottle. And even people who never fully warm up to the flavor usually enjoy the ritual of trying it with friends.
A Short History of Underberg
Underberg was created by Hubert Underberg in Rheinberg, Germany, in 1846, built around the belief that the right blend of herbal extracts could settle a stomach better than anything else on the market. The company started selling in the U.S. as early as 1860, and according to the Washington Post’s reporting, its popularity in America actually grew during Prohibition, precisely because it wasn’t legally treated as alcohol.
Today, the drink is still made by the same family, the recipe is still secret, and the bottles are still wrapped by hand. The bright green cap hasn’t changed either.
Why Bartenders Everywhere Treat It Like a Secret Handshake
This is the part the press has really latched onto. The Washington Post described Underberg as functioning like “a secret handshake among bartenders, brewers and beverage enthusiasts” — order one, or have one offered to you, and it’s a quiet signal that you’re not new to being behind a bar. Paste Magazine put it even more bluntly, calling the ritual “the beertender’s handshake” — the craft-beer-world equivalent of old-school bartenders sharing a shot of Fernet at the end of a shift.
That FDA loophole is a big reason the ritual spread so fast through taprooms and breweries nationally, but it’s not the only reason it stuck. NOLA.com has covered how New Orleans bartenders have embraced the same tradition, and it’s the same story we’ve seen play out at Revelry for years: once someone tries it with the right group, at the right moment, it becomes a habit worth repeating.
Brando’s First Encounter With Underberg
Before Revelry, before the thousands of saved caps, before U-shaped lineups at the bar, there was one plate of schnitzel in Miami.
Brando first discovered Underberg at the Royal Bavarian Schnitzel House, a spot known for huge portions of rich German comfort food: roasted duck, sausage, gravy, potatoes, noodles. After a plate like that, you need help, and the servers there knew exactly what to reach for. They introduced him to Underberg.
It hit like a spark — one small bottle, one sharp burst of clarity. He felt lighter, sharper, awake. The effect was fast and clean, and the ritual itself was fun. That moment stuck with him, and he carried it straight into Revelry.
How Underberg Became a Staple at the Original Revelry
When the original Revelry opened in Downtown Lake Worth, it quickly built a reputation as a neighborhood lounge with quirky charm — craft beer, wine, snacks, vintage décor, and a sense of humor tucked into every corner. Underberg fit right in.
Guests noticed the little bottles and asked about them. Regulars explained the ritual to first-timers. Friends did shots together. Plenty of guests turned it into their closing ritual before heading home for the night. From 2018 until the Lake Worth location closed, Revelry became one of the highest-volume Underberg sellers in the region — people started asking for it by name, requesting group rounds, and collecting the caps.
It became a signature part of the Revelry experience, years before most bars in the country had ever heard of it.
The Underberg Cap Tradition at Revelry
Underberg’s bright green cap is part of the brand’s own loyalty program check it out here — collect enough of them and the company will trade them for merchandise, everything from license plate holders to miniature model cars (rumor has it a million caps gets you an actual Underberg-branded Vespa)
At Revelry, we took that spirit and ran with it. We saved every cap. Regulars saved them too, dropping them off in bags, jars, and stacked towers. We’ve used them for art projects, bar décor, and the occasional surprise gift for a guest who falls in love with the ritual.
Today, at our Pompano Beach location, we have thousands of Underberg caps in storage — an entire coffin and drawers of tiny green caps that represent years of shared rounds and closing-shift traditions.
Underberg at the New Pompano Beach Location
When Revelry moved to Pompano Beach, the Underberg tradition moved with us. The space is bigger now, the kitchen is full-scale, and the bar program has grown up considerably — but the little brown bottle is still a constant.
Guests reach for it after a big meal, especially after a french dip, a jezebelle burger, or Bread Pudding. Others down one before karaoke, before The Spelling Buzz, or before a night of live music. Plenty of regulars treat it as their shift-ender, the last thing they order before heading out the door.
It’s also become a conversation starter in its own right. Guests see someone else take the shot, ask what it is, and want in on the ritual themselves.
How Underberg Helps After a Big Meal
Underberg’s herbal blend is designed to help your body settle after a heavy meal — the reason it’s a fixture in German households after holiday dinners, and why European restaurants often send it out after a rich course. Guests tend to feel lighter, less bloated, and more awake afterward, which is exactly why it pairs so well with Revelry’s indulgent comfort-food menu.
What Is a U45 Formation?
If you’ve never seen a U45, you’re in for a treat. It’s when a group lines up their Underberg bottles and drinks them lined up, at a 45 degree angle and drinks together in one unified moment — part celebration, part ritual, part bonding experience. It always gets a reaction, always gets a laugh, and always turns into a memory. It’s become one of the more fun, recognizable parts of Underberg culture at Revelry, and every group that does it ends up building its own version of the tradition.
Why Underberg Fits the Revelry Vibe
Revelry is a place built on curiosities — vintage décor, inventive cocktails, a late-night energy that mixes nostalgia with a sense of discovery. Underberg fits that mold perfectly. The tiny bottle looks like a relic from another era. The flavor feels like old-world herbal magic. The ritual feels a little mysterious, a little fun, and the cap collection adds a touch of whimsy to the whole thing. Guests love talking about it, staff love recommending it, and regulars love introducing it to first-timers.
It’s earned its place as one of the unofficial mascots of Revelry.
Final Thoughts: A Small Bottle With a Big Place in Our Hearts
Underberg started as a German digestive tonic. Today it’s a documented, national bar-culture phenomenon — the kind of thing the Washington Post, Food & Wine, Paste Magazine, and NOLA.com have all taken the time to write about in the past year alone.
At Revelry, it’s been so much more than a trend piece for years. It’s a shared moment between friends. It’s part of our nightly rhythm. It’s a tradition carried over from the original bar in Lake Worth, tied to Brando’s memory of a schnitzel restaurant in Miami, and stitched into thousands of nights, thousands of rounds, and thousands of green caps saved along the way.
The next time you’re at Revelry, look for the tiny paper-wrapped bottle behind the bar. Ask about it. Try one. Add your cap to the collection.
Welcome to the tradition.
Try Underberg at Revelry
Come experience the ritual yourself. Sip, smile, and feel that sharp herbal magic.
Revelry — Pompano Beach, FL. Cocktails, comfort food, and live music.