NORK Lemon-Ginger Liqueur. Grain-based liqueur with organic lemons and organic ginger, naturally cloudy, low in sugar, 20% vol, 500 ml – from Bremen.
NORK Lemon-Ginger Liqueur is a grain-based liqueur from Bremen: organic lemons and organic ginger, peeled, sliced, and pressed by hand, macerated in NORK Doppelkorn, with little sugar, naturally cloudy, 20% vol, 500 ml. Not a limoncello, not a syrup with a kick, no added flavorings – a tangy liqueur with the heat of ginger that works both chilled and neat or as a spritz.
Lemon-Ginger Liqueur by NORK is the first liqueur from the Bremen-based brand – it was the start of their liqueur range. A grain liqueur is created when fruits or spices are macerated in grain spirit and the infusion is then turned into a liqueur with sugar. NORK uses its own Doppelkorn made from German wheat as a base, mild enough to let the lemon and ginger take center stage. The ingredients are fresh and organic: lemons processed with juice and zest, and ginger that is peeled, sliced, and pressed by hand. Only as much sugar is added as is necessary to qualify as a liqueur – this is the principle NORK follows. The result is naturally cloudy: suspended particles settle at the bottom over time, so shake the bottle before pouring. Imagine a summer evening on the balcony, a glass with ice, sparkling wine on top, yellow liqueur on the bottom, and with the first sip, you get the lemon, then the ginger that tickles your throat a little. That is how the introduction to the NORK liqueurs tastes.
Fresh and tangy: distinct ginger, light citric acidity, low sweetness
The ginger sets the tone. Its heat is distinct, but it does not burn – it warms you, like fresh ginger tea. This is balanced by the acidity of the lemon, bright and fresh, with the light bitterness of the zest. The sweetness remains in the background: the liqueur is sweet, but far from the sugar-bomb character of many fruit liqueurs. The grain spirit in the background provides body and a mild cereal note while otherwise staying in the background. In the finish, the warmth of the ginger lingers longest.
A comparison with limoncello is obvious because lemon zest is involved here too. However, it is misleading: limoncello is sweeter and stronger, and it lacks the ginger; the NORK liqueur is lighter at 20% vol, cloudier, and sharper. According to the manufacturer, it is vegan and contains no artificial flavorings. NORK claims the cloudiness and suspended particles are proof of this – and intentional.
Iced and neat, as a spritz with sparkling wine, or with soda over ice
Iced and neat is the manufacturer's first recommendation. Put the bottle in the fridge or briefly in the freezer, then pour 2 to 4 cl into a small glass. When cold, the sweetness recedes, and the ginger and lemon come to the fore. It is a liqueur with 20% vol; sales are restricted to persons aged 18 and over.
As a spritz, the liqueur becomes a summer drink: 4 cl of Lemon-Ginger into a wine glass over ice, top with dry sparkling wine, and add a slice of lemon. For those who prefer it lighter, top with soda instead of sparkling wine – creating a ginger lemonade with character. As a long drink base and in cocktails, the liqueur holds its own with its 20% vol; NORK collects recipes for this on their blog.
Shake the bottle before pouring so that the suspended particles are distributed. Store in a cool, dark place.
Our tip: Make the spritz in a one-to-three ratio – 4 cl of liqueur to 12 cl of cold sparkling wine, plenty of ice, a slice of lemon – and shake the bottle beforehand. The cloudiness belongs in the glass; it is the ginger.
The first NORK liqueur – handcrafted based on Bremen Doppelkorn
NORK is a Bremen-based brand founded by siblings Ann-Katrin and Johann Dallmeyer. They have been distilling grain spirit since 2016 with the goal of making it popular again; the liqueurs came later, and the Lemon-Ginger was the first. The idea: to show that a liqueur with good ingredients, craftsmanship, and little sugar can stand on its own. Exciting combinations, natural ingredients, as little sugar as possible – these are the criteria NORK cites for all its liqueurs.
The base is NORK Doppelkorn, which has been distilled since 2019 in collaboration with the Sasse fine distillery in the Münsterland region – from 100% German wheat, using water from the distillery's own well. The organic-quality lemons and ginger are hand-peeled, sliced, and pressed, and macerated in the grain spirit, according to the product description for about a week, before the blend is bottled. NORK accepts that suspended particles remain in the bottle: the cloudiness shows that there is real fruit inside.
Lemon-Ginger, Coffee-Licorice, Egg Liqueur – the NORK liqueurs were created in this order, each with its own story behind the ingredients. With Lemon-Ginger, it's the manual labor; with Coffee-Licorice, the coffee from Hamburg; and with the egg liqueur, the rescued eggs.
For summer evenings, ginger fans, and anyone who finds fruit liqueur too sweet
The Lemon-Ginger Liqueur is the bottle for everyone who associates liqueur with too much sugar. Here it is the other way around. For the balcony in summer, it is the perfect spritz base; for the fridge, the shot after a meal; and for ginger fans, the liqueur in which you can actually taste the ginger. As a gift, it is perfect for hosts who prefer an aperitif to a digestif. Its dark sister is the Coffee-Licorice Liqueur, and the base for both is the Doppelkorn; you can find all NORK bottles on our NORK page, and other liqueurs in the Liqueurs category.
The liqueur is not suitable for those expecting a clear, sweet lemon liqueur in the Italian style – for that, it is too cloudy, too sharp, and not sweet enough. And anyone who generally avoids ginger will not be happy with it either: the sharpness is the heart of the recipe.
Organic lemons and organic ginger processed by hand, macerated in NORK Doppelkorn, naturally cloudy, 20% vol – the Lemon-Ginger Liqueur from NORK in Bremen for a summer spritz and an ice-cold glass.
