Decoding Bitter, Herbal, and Smoky Spirits Through Malaysian Tastebuds

When people first encounter European liqueurs and spirits like Fernet, Chartreuse, or Campari, the reaction is often the same: “Wah, so bitter!” or “This tastes like medicine.” But if you think about it, Malaysians and Singaporeans already grew up surrounded by bitter, herbal, and smoky flavors. From liang cha (cooling tea) to bak kut teh to the smell of burning incense, many of these spirits have cousins in our local food culture. Let’s break them down in a way that makes sense to our taste buds. 

Fernet 

Fernet is one of the most bitter of the Italian amari family, loaded with herbs like myrrh, saffron, cardamom, and especially menthol and eucalyptus. 

For those familiar with Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa cough syrup, imagine the taste — that cooling, herbal sweetness with a strong menthol kick, but diluted. Mix that with the bitterness of loh han guo herbal tea, and you’re close. No wonder Fernet is loved by bartenders; it’s like a “secret liang cha” for after a long shift. 

Montenegro 

Amaro Montenegro is gentler and more floral than Fernet. It carries orange peel, vanilla, and subtle spices. 

Think of rose tea with a slice of chen pi (dried tangerine peel), lightly sweetened. — floral, sweet, yet slightly herbal. Montenegro is often used to introduce beginners to the world of bitters because it feels friendlier, almost like a dessert herbal tea. 

Sweet Vermouth 

Sweet vermouth is fortified wine infused with herbs, roots, and botanicals, carrying a rich, bittersweet profile. 

For anyone familiar with Chinese herbal teas, imagine a concentrated longan tong sui that’s been steeped with a touch of chen pi and ginseng roots — that same balance of raisin-like sweetness, slight bitterness, and warming herbal depth. It’s winey, spiced, and almost dessert-like, yet with enough medicinal character to remind you of traditional Chinese tonic drinks. 

Absinthe 

Absinthe is famous for its high proof and dominant anise/licorice flavor. For us, it tastes like drinking the spice base of bak kut teh — star anise, fennel, and a touch of angelica. The bitterness reminds us of drinking too-strong Chinese herbal soup, but with a cooling mint-like finish. 

Campari 

Campari is the bright red Italian bitter most people first encounter in a Negroni. Its profile is sharp: bitter orange peel, herbs, and intense sweetness — but with a faint liquorice-like note hiding underneath. 

Think of chen pi boiled in herbal tea, with that bitter-citrus punch, but then imagine a tiny hint of biting into licorice root or star anise at the back of your throat. Some even say it feels like air sirap (rose syrup drink) gone herbal and bitter. 

Angostura Bitters 

Angostura is a concentrated bitter used in dashes, not to be sipped. It’s packed with clove, cinnamon, and gentian root. 

Flavor-wise, it’s like if you took ngo heong (five spice powder) and soaked it in alcohol. A dash of Angostura feels like adding a pinch of bak kut teh spice mix into your drink — strong, warming, and aromatic. 

Chartreuse 

Made by French monks with 130 herbs, Chartreuse comes in green (stronger) and yellow (sweeter, gentler). 

• Green Chartreuse → like liang cha (herbal tea) mixed with mint candy and ginger — powerful and slightly medicinal. 

• Yellow Chartreuse → softer, like American ginseng tea with honey. 

Anyone familiar with traditional Chinese herbal teas will immediately recognize the comforting yet complex “health tonic” vibe. 

Pernod 

Pernod is a French anise-flavoured spirit, often used as a gentler alternative to absinthe. 

For those in Malaysia, the best way to picture it is like when you’re enjoying nasi kandar, and suddenly you bite down on a hidden piece of star anise in the curry. That sharp licorice burst — herbal, sweet, and slightly numbing — is similar to the flavour Pernod brings, only in liquid form, and sweeter. 

Peated Whisky 

Peated whisky (like Laphroaig or Ardbeg) gets its smoky flavor from drying malt over burning peat. 

For Malaysians and Singaporeans, that smokiness is familiar — it’s the same aroma as burnt charcoal satay, or the smoky wok hei from char kuey teow, or even a cigar. Some even say it reminds them of temple incense smoke. It’s earthy, ashy, and lingering, just like the aftertaste of charcoal-grilled sambal stingray. 

Mezcal 

Mezcal, tequila’s smoky cousin, carries roasted agave, earthy smoke, and mineral notes. 

I agree with how Giri, Campari Malaysia ambassador, describes it: think of leong fun (grass jelly) — that slightly grassy, herbal, cooling taste.

Now imagine it without the sweetness, and layered with gentle wood smoke, as if the jelly had been set over charcoal fire. That’s Mezcal: grassy, smoky, earthy, and grounding, like a rustic version of our favorite herbal dessert turned into a spirit.  

Bridging Worlds: Why Malaysians Can Appreciate These Spirits 

Many people in Asia think European liqueurs are too bitter or medicinal. But if we reflect on our own food culture, bitterness and herbal depth are already part of our daily life: bittergourd soup, liang cha, bak kut teh, ginseng tea, incense, wok hei smoke. 

The difference is context — we drink them here as medicine or food tradition, while Europeans turned them into pleasure drinks. Once you frame Fernet as “bartenders’ liang cha,” or peated whisky as “liquid satay smoke,” it becomes easier to connect.

by Chong Hau (The Nest, Penang)