Long before yardage books and swing analysers, golf had a different kind of pre round ritual. A small glass of Kümmel, poured at the first tee to settle the nerves before a big round.
The spirit itself is older than the game's oldest championship. The earliest known Kümmel recipe dates back to 1503, credited to a knight of the Livonian Order. It was first distilled commercially in the Netherlands in the late 16th century, then spread across the Baltic states.
How Kümmel Found Its Way Onto the Course
By the middle of the 19th century, Kümmel had become a fixture in British members' clubs. Golfers swore by its supposed medicinal properties, said to settle the stomach and calm the nerves before a round. When Prestwick Golf Club hosted the first Open Championship in 1860, the pioneering clubs of the Victorian golf boom, Prestwick, Muirfield, and the R&A at St Andrews, had already adopted Kümmel as their tradition after the round. It earned a nickname that's stuck ever since: putting mixture.
The spirit's popularity peaked through the 1930s, usually served ice cold in chilled glasses straight after a round. But somewhere in the second half of the 20th century, it fell out of fashion, pushed to the back shelf as newer spirits and cocktail trends took over the clubhouse.
Bringing It Back
We launched Birdie Kümmel in the summer of 2025 with one goal. Bring Kümmel back as the drink of golf, without losing what made it special in the first place. We partnered with Edwards Distillers to craft a Kümmel that's proudly British, distilled to 25% ABV for a smoother, more approachable finish than the traditional recipe.
It's still the same spirit that steadied the nerves of Victorian golfers at the very first Open Championship. We've just made it worth pouring again.
Try Birdie Kümmel or read more about the full Kümmel story.
