Where to find Riga Black Birch/Balsam/Balzams? (spirit of Latvia)

[Russel Shank]

This spirit is the unofficial national drink of Latvia, and I am having a tough time finding it in the U.S. (primarily in Mid Atlantic and D.C. metro area.)

I'm not very familiar with liquor importing, where to find obscure spirits, etc.

Any tips/help?

[minsocal]

Try http://www.argonautliquor.com/r/produ... You can order online

[MC Slim JB]

It's also carried by the Wine Gallery in Brookline, MA, whose owner is Eastern European.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[Perilagu Khan]

I sure wish I could find this stuff in Texas. Would love to try it in a martini.

[Russel Shank]

Thanks for the tips everyone.

I tried having an exceptional spirits shop owner in D.C. track it down. He found the U.S. importer, was skeptical about whether the company was still breathing but placed an order anyway. No shipment, no response.

I've seen some Balzam listed on Ebay, for a fairly high price. If anyone is very curious, you can find it there. I'm not serious enough to throw down double what its worth, for what is essentially novelty.. already have some little airplane bottles anyway.

[EvergreenDan]

Just bought a bottle at the liquor store by Trader Joes / Fresh Pond, Cambridge, MA. Maybe this is Sav-Mor?

It is black -- freightening in fact -- in the mixing glass. It has a mild sweet coniferous flavor, with a slow-building bitter finish. Good stuff. I concocted this:

Midnight Ruby
1 oz Gin
1 oz Campari
1/2 oz Black Balzams
1 oz Grapefruit

Yum. It is very, very tasty without the gin, but it lack a bit of kick that way, causing me to drink it rather quickly. I would very happily drink it sans gin when I'm looking for a slightly lighter drink. Surprising, the Balzams is 90 proof. You wouldn't know it to sip it.

OK. Now how about some more recipes using Black Balzams. It's great stuff.

[JMF]

That recipe sounds both very complex, and refreshing, at the same time.

[StriperGuy]

I just bought some for $30 a 750ml bottle at Sav-Mor at Fresh Pond in Cambridge, MA.

Or...

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Riga+Black+Balzams and click shopping.

[craigasaurus]

I've seen it on the shelves of several stores in metro Boston. If that helps at all, Marty's in Newtonville carries 375 and 750 ml bottles of it.

[pb n foie]

go to wineanthology.com. they ship but not to every state. good luck!

[JMF]

My father is Latvian so I have 5-6 unopened bottles, but they are so old that most of the contents have evaporated. I haven't seen them for sale in decades.

[EvergreenDan]

My Latvian friend with the humongous esoteric liquor collection (hundreds of bottles, many hand imported from travels around the world) "treated" me to a wee dram of this stuff. Very bitter. The Fernet Branca I brought was like a butter knife at a gun fight. I did enjoy it in slap-your-face-sit-up-straight kind of way.

[jerryc123]

HaHa,
I think Fernet Branca is pretty strong and bitter. Riga is even more so?
The description for Riga says...
"Subtle hints of linden blossom, birch bud, valerian root, raspberry, bilberry, and ginger as well as touches of nutmeg and black peppercorn..."
Is that just marketing nonsense? How can anything that strong have "subtle hints" of anything?

[Russel Shank]

The Latvian travel guides mention how locals love to feed it to foreigners, primarily for the pleasure of watching them cringe/gag/squirm.

It was invented centuries ago as an elixir, so its primary function is/was to act as a medicine, not something to compliment food or accompany leisure.

Its basically a bunch of bitter stuff from the woods fermented and concentrated, enjoy!

[EvergreenDan]

I need to amend my comment. Black Balsams is not that bitter. It's very enjoyable, and a flexible and intriguing cocktail ingredient.

The deadly-bitter stuff was some scary ceramic bottle of German vile. I'm anxious to try it again. :)

Since I see it around Boston, it's a shame that it's so hard to find elsewhere. If you like challenging flavors, it's a treat.

[jerryc123]

This looks delicious. What is it like? An herbal root beer, or more like Becherovka?

http://rigablackbalsam.com/
US importer...
Baltic Trade Corporation
Wholesale Liquor Products
6600 Smith Rd
Denver, CO 80207
Tel: [phone]
You can e-mail them to find out who has it in your area.
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