Source: Atlas Obscura
In 1752, Riga pharmacist Abraham Kunze concocted the city’s beloved Black Balsam, a bitter herbal liqueur. (Or, as some in the contemporary press alleged, he cribbed the drink from earlier iterations, since recipes for balsam had been documented in Riga as far back as the 1500s.
) The earthy-tasting black liquid quickly gained a reputation as good medicine. There’s even a legend that it saved an ailing Catherine the Great when she encountered stomach troubles during a visit to Riga.According to the manufacturer, Latvijas Balzams, the secret recipe for Black Balsam was…
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