Jan Becher - Karlovarská Becherovka, a.s.

What Jan Becher - Karlovarská Becherovka, a.s. does

Jan Becher - Karlovarská Becherovka, a.s. is a Czech joint-stock company headquartered in Karlovy Vary that produces and exports the Becherovka family of herbal liqueurs and related spirits. The company's flagship product, Becherovka Original, has been produced continuously since 1807 from a secret recipe of approximately 20 herbs and spices known by only two people worldwide, combined with Karlovy Vary water, high-quality spirit, and natural sugar with no artificial ingredients, colorants, or preservatives. Production is consolidated at a modern factory in the Bohatice district of Karlovy Vary, built in 2010 with a 40% capacity increase, supporting an annual output of approximately 8 million liters across the portfolio, which also includes the Fruits & Herbs line (Lemond, Grapefruit & Hops, Lime & Basil, Orange & Ginger), Beton canned RTD cocktails, Becherovka Unfiltered, Tuzemský, Karlovarský Cordial, and Karlovarský KV14.

The business generates revenue through three principal channels. The first is B2B alcoholic beverage sales to bars, restaurants, and retailers, with Czech distribution handled by MASPEX Czech s.r.o. (a group company) via regional sales representatives and Slovak distribution handled by Maspex Slovakia Trade s.r.o., while more than 50% of production is exported internationally to bars and retail outlets. The second is direct-to-consumer sales through the official factory store at The Home of Becherovka visitor center in Karlovy Vary, the becherovka.com e-commerce site, and an Amazon listing for the German market, covering bottles, gift boxes, souvenirs, and merchandise. The third is experiential revenue from guided visitor-center tours (from 290 CZK), factory experience tours (from 1,600 CZK), cocktail workshops, and corporate/VIP events.

The company is part of the MASPEX and TYMBARK corporate group, with the Becherovka brand sold in bottle formats from 50ml to 3 liters. The product is vegetarian, gluten-free and allergen-free (Becherovka Original), with optional special Kosher batches produced on demand. The brand holds a 1922 trademark on 'Becherovka' and 'Becher Bitter,' received the Grand Prix at the 1900 Paris World Exhibition, and was named a C.K. Imperial Court Supplier by Emperor Franz Josef in 1907; the BeTon cocktail was designated the Czech national cocktail in 2019.

Name

Jan Becher - Karlovarská Becherovka, a.s.

Legal name

Jan Becher – Karlovarská Becherovka, a.s.

Website

https://becherovka.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1807

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Jan Becher - Karlovarská Becherovka, a.s. produces and exports the Becherovka herbal liqueur portfolio (since 1807) from Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, serving on-premise hospitality, retail, and tourist consumers worldwide under the MASPEX corporate group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Herbal Liqueurs

NAICS

Distilleries (31214)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Spirits Distilling & Brands (CRADAIAC)

Keywords

• Herbal liqueur production
• Spirits manufacturing
• Bottled alcoholic beverages
• Czech spirits brand
• Distillery operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Karlovy Vary

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Alcoholic Beverage Sales: Revenue from selling Becherovka products (Original, Fruits & Herbs variants, Beton canned cocktails, Tuzemský, Unfiltered, Cordial, KV14) through retail and wholesale channels. Products sold in bottle sizes ranging from 50ml to 3 liters.
2. Visitor Center Tours: Revenue from guided tours of The Home of Becherovka visitor center, including tastings (4x1.5cl), and factory tours. Tour options include Basic (from 290 CZK), Extended, Exclusive, and Cocktail packages.
3. Factory Store & E-commerce: Direct sales of Becherovka bottles, gift boxes, souvenirs, and merchandise through the official factory store and online e-shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Jan Becher - Karlovarská Becherovka, a.s. produces and markets a portfolio of traditional Czech herbal liqueurs and spirits under the Becherovka brand, manufactured in Karlovy Vary since 1807 using a secret recipe of approximately 20 herbs and spices combined with local Karlovy Vary water. The portfolio spans the iconic Becherovka Original, the lower-alcohol Fruits & Herbs line, ready-to-drink Beton canned cocktails, Tuzemský, Unfiltered, Cordial, and KV14 variants, complemented by factory visitor-center tours and direct e-commerce/factory store sales.

Product overview

Jan Becher – Karlovarská Becherovka is a Czech herbal liqueur producer offering a diversified portfolio centred on the iconic Becherovka Original (38% ABV, produced since 1807). The portfolio includes the Becherovka Fruits & Herbs sub-line of flavoured liqueurs with lower alcohol content (20% ABV), namely Lemond, Grapefruit & Hops, Lime & Basil, and Orange & Ginger. Ready-to-drink canned cocktails (Beton Original and Beton Grapefruit) combine Becherovka with tonic water. Additional products include Becherovka Unfiltered (unfiltered 1807 recipe), Becherovka Tuzemský (domestic spirit with vanilla and caramel), Karlovarský Cordial (sweet lime blossom liqueur at 35% ABV), and Karlovarský KV14 (40% ABV bitter aperitif with red wine). The company also operates The Home of Becherovka visitor centre in a historic 1867 building, offering guided tours, factory tours, cocktail workshops, and VIP events in Karlovy Vary.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Becherovka Fruits & Herbs: Flavored liqueur line featuring fruit and herb combinations including Lime & Basil, Grapefruit & Hops, Lemond, and Orange & Ginger variants with lower alcohol content.
• Becherovka BETON
• Becherovka Unfiltered
• Becherovka Tuzemský
• Karlovarský Cordial
• Karlovarský KV14

Products and services

• Becherovka Original Traditional Czech herbal liqueur (38% ABV) made from a secret recipe of approximately 20 herbs and spices from around the world combined with Karlovy Vary water, with a characteristic bittersweet taste dominated by clove and cinnamon. Available in 50ml to 3L sizes for adult consumers, bars, and retail.
• Becherovka Lemond
• Becherovka Grapefruit & Hops Lower-alcohol flavoured liqueur from the Fruits & Herbs line combining juicy pink grapefruit with subtle hop bitterness, delivering a refreshing, citrusy profile with a dry finish.
• Becherovka Lime & Basil Lower-alcohol flavoured liqueur combining fresh lime and aromatic basil for a clean, citrusy aroma with herbal undertone, ideal for spritzes and lighter summer serves.
• Becherovka Orange & Ginger Lower-alcohol flavoured liqueur blending orange citrus brightness with ginger spice, part of the Fruits & Herbs line.
• Becherovka Beton (Original & Grapefruit) Ready-to-drink pre-mixed canned cocktails combining Becherovka with tonic water, available in Original and Grapefruit variants. The BeTon cocktail was named the Czech national cocktail in 2019.
• Becherovka Tuzemský Traditional Czech domestic spirit with vanilla and caramel notes, produced in Karlovy Vary as part of the revived non-herbal spirits portfolio originally developed by Jan Becher. Premium packaging with unique bottle design.
• Becherovka Unfiltered Unfiltered herbal liqueur faithful to the 1807 recipe, allowing herbs to fully develop their natural aroma with a wilder flavour profile; recommended shaken over ice.
• Karlovarský Cordial Premium (35% ABV) sweet liqueur with prominent lime blossom flavour, honey colour, and intense sweetness combining white wine, lime blossom extract, and plum macerate. Produced in Karlovy Vary since 1910.
• Karlovarský KV14 Bitter aperitif (40% ABV) combining full herbal taste with fresh orange notes and dry red wine, no added sugar, with a characteristic dark red colour.
• The Home of Becherovka Visitor Centre Tours Guided visitor-centre tours (Basic, Extended, Exclusive, Cocktail, and Factory Experience) of The Home of Becherovka in Karlovy Vary, including tastings of Becherovka products, BeTon cocktails, mixology workshops, and a personalised bottle souvenir.

Quantifiable outcome

• Production capacity of nearly 8 million liters annually with 40% increase after 2010 factory expansion
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MASPEX Czech s.r.o.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMASPEX Czech s.r.o. is a group company that handles Becherovka distribution within Czech Republic. Located at Sokolovská 100/94, Prague 186 00. Contact: +420 236 080 220.
• Maspex Slovakia Trade s.r.o.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMaspex Slovakia Trade s.r.o. handles Becherovka distribution in Slovakia. Located at Slovnaftská 102, Bratislava 821 07. Contact: +421 903 920 175.
• MASPEX and TYMBARK GroupcoreOthersJan Becher - Karlovarská Becherovka, a.s. is part of the MASPEX and TYMBARK corporate group. The group also includes other companies within the European Union.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fernet-Branca: Iconic Italian herbal bitter liqueur with a secret herbal recipe and 200+ year heritage. Highly comparable to Becherovka on product positioning (herbal bitter digestif), heritage-driven brand, and global bar presence, though with a more intense bitter profile.
• Cynar: Italian artichoke-based bitter liqueur now owned by Campari Group. Comparable to Becherovka as a bitter herbal liqueur with a distinctive vegetable/herbal profile and digestif positioning, often consumed neat or in cocktails.
• Jägermeister: German herbal liqueur producer and the dominant global player in the bitter/herbal liqueur category. Closest direct peer to Becherovka given similar herbal-bitter profile, 35% ABV range, and global on-premise distribution, though at much larger scale.
• Unicum: Hungarian herbal liqueur with a 200+ year history and a closely guarded proprietary recipe. Direct regional peer to Becherovka, competing in Central European bitter liqueur occasions with similar heritage-led positioning and national-cocktail status (Unicum Spritz).
• Chartreuse: French herbal liqueur produced by Carthusian monks from a secret recipe of 130 herbs. Highly comparable on the axes of trade-secret herbal recipe, centuries-old heritage, premium positioning, and craft-distilling heritage, though smaller in volume.
• Underberg: German herbal digestif bitters sold in characteristic small single-serve bottles. Direct peer to Becherovka in the herbal bitters segment, with a comparable German/Central European heritage and on-trade focus.

Broad incumbents

• Aperol: Italian bitter aperitif owned by Campari Group and a major global bitter liqueur brand. Broader incumbent in the same bitter/herbal liqueur space, with significantly larger global distribution and the Aperol Spritz cocktail driving consumption, overlapping with Becherovka's BeTon cocktail-led approach.
• Campari: Italian bitter spirit and owner of multiple bitter liqueur brands. Broad incumbent in the same herbal bitter liqueur category as Becherovka, with vastly greater international distribution and a portfolio of competing bitter liqueur brands.

Others

• Kahlúa: Mexican coffee-flavored liqueur owned by Pernod Ricard. Comparable as a globally distributed, heritage specialty liqueur brand with a secret/heritage recipe, but positioned in the sweet coffee liqueur category rather than herbal bitters, making it an adjacent rather than direct competitor.

Regional players

• Becherovka's parent group MASPEX competitors (e.g., Stock Spirits Group): Central and Eastern European spirits producer with heritage brands across vodka, rum, and bitters. Comparable as a regional multi-brand spirits platform operating in similar CEE markets to Becherovka, though with a broader category mix and a public listing that provides capital markets access.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jan Becher - Karlovarská Becherovka, a.s.