Becherovka substitutes
Becherovka substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Averna or another dark amaro with a pinch of cinnamon
Same amount as the becherovka
With 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon per 2 oz
The best single-bottle substitute is a dark amaro such as Averna at 1:1 with a pinch of ground cinnamon stirred in, since that covers both the bittersweet body and the spice. Allspice dram cut with simple syrup, two parts dram to one part syrup, is closer on the spice and misses the bitterness. Jagermeister also works 1:1 if you accept more anise and a much darker colour. To build it yourself, mix 1 tablespoon cinnamon syrup with 1 tablespoon vodka and 2 dashes of bitters for every 2 tablespoons needed.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- What changes —
- different taste, similar texture
- Best for —
- Beton style long drinks
Updated 26 Jul 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of becherovka | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Averna or another dark amaro with a pinch of cinnamonBeton style long drinks | Same amountWith 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon per 2 ozTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Allspice dram with simple syrupcocktails | Same amount2 parts allspice dram to 1 part simple syrupWorks | Works |
| 3 | JagermeisterBeton style long drinks with tonic | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Benedictine with a dash of bitterscocktails | Same amountPlus 2 dashes Angostura per ozTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Cinnamon syrup with vodka and bitterscocktails | 1 tbsp cinnamon syrup plus 1 tbsp vodka plus 2 dashes bitters replaces 2 tbsp BecherovkaWorks | Works |
| 6 | Strong cinnamon and clove tea with honey (non-alcoholic)alcohol-free long drinks | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
Averna or another dark amaro with a pinch of cinnamon
different taste, similar texture
Amari share Becherovka's essential structure: sweet, herbal, bitter from gentian or similar roots, and syrupy in the mouth.
- Best for
- Beton style long drinks, cocktails, sipping after dinner, mulled wine, coffee
The colour goes from gold to dark brown, and the flavour shifts from clean baking spice toward caramel, cola and dried fruit. The cinnamon steers it back. Let the cinnamon sit in the liqueur for a few minutes and strain it if you want the drink to stay clear.
Allspice dram with simple syrup
similar taste and texture
Pimento dram is a rum-based allspice liqueur and it is the closest thing on a normal back bar to Becherovka's warm-spice character.
- Best for
- cocktails, punches, mulled drinks, spiced glazes, baking
The spice match is very good, leaning clove and allspice rather than cinnamon, and the rum base adds a molasses note Becherovka does not have. What is entirely missing is the gentian bitterness, so add two dashes of Angostura per ounce if you want the bitter finish back.
Jagermeister
different taste, similar texture
The same category of sweet herbal bitter liqueur, with a comparable sugar level and a comparable bitterness.
- Best for
- Beton style long drinks with tonic, shots, punches, glazes
Much darker in the glass, near black rather than gold, and the herbs lead with anise, licorice and menthol instead of cinnamon and clove. In a Beton, where tonic and lemon dominate, it works well. In a pale winter punch it will look muddy.
Benedictine with a dash of bitters
different taste, similar texture
A French honeyed herbal liqueur with a similar golden colour and a gentler version of the same many-botanical complexity.
- Best for
- cocktails, sipping, mulled drinks, glazes, sauces
Sweeter, honeyed and considerably milder, with saffron and citrus rather than cinnamon and clove, and with almost no bitterness of its own. The bitters supply the missing edge. It is the best match on colour, which matters in a clear tall drink.
Cinnamon syrup with vodka and bitters
similar taste and texture
A rebuild from parts and the most accurate flavour match you can assemble at home. Make cinnamon syrup by simmering a broken cinnamon stick in equal sugar and water for ten minutes.
- Best for
- cocktails, Beton, baking, glazes, mulled drinks
Add a single clove to the syrup while it simmers and it gets noticeably closer. It will be paler and slightly less complex than the bottle, since Becherovka carries a couple of dozen botanicals, but the cinnamon-clove-bitter frame is unmistakable.
Strong cinnamon and clove tea with honey (non-alcoholic)
different taste, similar texture
Steep a broken cinnamon stick and two cloves in hot water for ten minutes, sweeten with honey, then add a squeeze of lemon.
- Best for
- alcohol-free long drinks, mulled non-alcoholic punch, baking, glazes
The spice is right and honey covers the sweetness and some of the body. The gentian bitterness is missing, but if you are making a Beton the tonic water supplies bitterness of its own from quinine, which makes this a better alcohol-free swap than it sounds. It will not have the warming alcoholic finish.
Questions
5 questionsCan I just leave Becherovka out?
In a glaze or a baked dessert, yes. Replace it with the same volume of water or apple juice plus a good pinch of cinnamon and a small pinch of clove, and the dish will be close. In a Beton or another two-ingredient drink there is nothing left without it, so use a substitute. In mulled wine it is optional and the drink is already spiced.
Is Becherovka a bitters or a liqueur?
Both descriptions get used, which causes confusion. It is a sweetened herbal liqueur at around 38 per cent alcohol, meant to be drunk in shot or long-drink quantities, not a concentrated cocktail bitters used a few dashes at a time. If a recipe calls for an ounce of Becherovka, do not substitute an ounce of Angostura bitters; that would be overwhelming.
What is the difference between Becherovka and Jagermeister?
They sit in the same family of sweet herbal bitter liqueurs and have similar sweetness and strength. Becherovka is gold, cleaner and led by cinnamon, clove and gentian, tasting like spiced gingerbread. Jagermeister is nearly black and led by anise, licorice and a cooling menthol note. They substitute for each other at 1:1 as long as the colour does not matter.
Can I use it in cooking, not just drinks?
Yes, and it is underrated for it. It works in glazes for pork and ham, in red cabbage, in mulled wine and in spiced cakes, because cinnamon and clove suit all of those. Keep the quantity modest, around two tablespoons for a family-sized glaze, and add it near the end so the bitterness does not concentrate as the liquid reduces.
What is the best alcohol-free substitute?
Strong cinnamon and clove tea sweetened with honey and sharpened with lemon. For a Beton, pour that over ice and top with tonic water; the tonic contributes the bitterness that makes the drink work, so the result is genuinely close in character. For baking, just use ground cinnamon and a pinch of clove in the recipe's existing liquid.
Tips for substituting becherovka
5 tips- The classic Czech way to drink it is a Beton: Becherovka topped with tonic water and finished with a lemon wedge. That is a useful clue for substitutes, because tonic's quinine bitterness props up any swap that is short on bitterness of its own.
- It is around 38 per cent alcohol and quite sweet, so it reduces to a sticky glaze quickly. For a glazed ham or roast pork, add it in the last ten minutes and watch it, because the sugar catches easily under a hot grill.
- A spoonful transforms mulled wine, since the cinnamon and clove are already in the direction mulled wine goes. Add it at the end, off the heat, so the aromatics survive.
- Serve it cold, straight from the fridge or the freezer, which is how it is drunk in Karlovy Vary. Cold flattens both the sweetness and the bitterness, and a substitute judged at room temperature will taste much sweeter and less balanced than the same substitute served properly chilled.
- In baking it belongs anywhere cinnamon already appears: a Czech honey cake, a gingerbread glaze, an apple strudel. Use it in place of some of the recipe's liquid rather than adding it on top, and cut a little sugar since it is sweet.