Mondino from Traunstein, Bavarian Organic Amaro according to an Italian Recipe
Mondino is the aperitivo brand of the Schnitzer distillery from Traunstein in Chiemgau. The family has been distilling there for over a hundred years; the recipe for the amaro came from South Tyrol across the Alps in the 1960s. Today, four organic varieties are produced, ranging from 0 to 31 percent alcohol.
Mondino stands for Germany's first organic amaro and for an aperitivo that combines Italian lifestyle with Bavarian craftsmanship. Behind the brand is the Schnitzer distillery in the Kaltenbach district of Traunstein, a family business with over a hundred years of history. Bitter orange, gentian, and rhubarb form the core of all varieties, and the water comes from the mountains right outside the door.
A Recipe from South Tyrol and a Grandson with an Idea
The story begins in 1900, when the Schnitzer family in Traunstein made their living from cooperage and trade, and in 1926 installed their first own still.
This was a logical step at the time, because those who build barrels interact with those who want to fill them. The Chiemgau provided the fruit, the mountains the water, and over the decades, a side business evolved into a distilling craft, now passed down through five generations.
However, the real beginning of Mondino lies in the 1960s. Master distiller Hans Schnitzer returned from his apprenticeship south of the Alps and brought an old Italian amaro recipe with him. He distilled it for himself and for friends, supplemented with a few herbs and roots from the surrounding mountains. For more than half a century, it remained exactly there, among friends.
Then his grandson Maximilian Schweisfurth remembered it. A trained chef, he grew up in a family that has championed organic farming for decades with the Herrmannsdorfer Landwerkstätten. He inspired three friends with the plan and, most importantly, his grandfather himself, among them Benedikt Pfeufer, who now manages Schnitzer Distillery GmbH. For two years, they fine-tuned the proportions, then his grandfather's idle distillery was brought back to life.
What is remarkable about this story is not so much the rediscovery as what happened afterwards. Instead of simply reproducing the recipe unchanged, the four brought it into the present. Less sugar, exclusively organic ingredients, and a herbal profile that makes the Alps as palatable as the south. Thus, a homemade drink became an aperitivo that can hold its own alongside Italian classics without copying them.
Four Varieties between Zero and Thirty-One Percent
The Mondino range includes four aperitivos, which share the same core and differ significantly in strength, maturity, and character.
The Amaro Bavarese is the original and the entry point, made from around 25 herbs and fruits, with 18 percent alcohol, light enough for an early evening. Fruity, tart, fresh, and in a Spritz with Prosecco, it showcases its citrus side.
The Stagionato takes the same amaro and ages it for almost a year in oak barrels, where vanilla and caramel notes develop and the tartness softens. The Amanero goes a step further and, in addition to about 30 herbal essences, introduces two unusual voices to the glass: espresso from Arabica beans and artichoke. With 31 percent alcohol, it is the house digestivo.
Finally, the Senza omits the alcohol without sacrificing bitterness, thus standing as its own variety alongside the other three rather than as a substitute. In addition, the Schnitzer distillery continues to produce its fine brandies, spirits, and liqueurs, for which the family was originally known, as well as gin and barrel-aged spirits.
If you place the four varieties side by side, you can see the underlying system. All share the basic character of bitter orange, gentian, and rhubarb, and each variety shifts it in one direction. The Stagionato moves towards wood and time, the Amanero towards roast and strength, the Senza towards lightness. This makes the range clear, even though the differences in the glass are pronounced.
Organic Down to the Last Root, Sparingly Sweetened
All Mondino varieties bear the organic seal under the organic control number DE-ÖKO-007, and this applies not only to the alcohol but to every single ingredient.
The ingredients, as far as possible, come from the Chiemsee region, and the water from Bavarian springs. What doesn't grow in the Alps comes from the south, for example, the bitter oranges from Sicily and Spain. Artificial flavors and colorings do not go into any bottle, and where color is involved, it comes from the plant itself, for example, from the hibiscus blossom in the Stagionato.
The second difference from the great Italian role models lies in the sugar. Mondino is significantly less sweetened, which means the herbs retain their space and the aperitivo tastes of herbs rather than syrup. "A little Dolce Vita always works," says Maximilian Schweisfurth about his drink, and one can tell from the bottle that this sentence was spoken with a smile.
Distilled and bottled in small quantities and by hand. For the barrel-aged varieties, there is no alternative anyway, because a barrel yields what it yields, and then it's finished. This limitation is not a marketing argument, but simply the result of the fact that no one is tapping a tank here.
94 Falstaff Points for the Non-Alcoholic Senza
In February 2026, Falstaff tasted Mondino Senza and awarded it 94 points, a rating that non-alcoholic aperitifs rarely achieve.
Taster Alexander Thürer noted dark berries, herbs, and citrus in the aroma, along with a balanced bitterness and a dry, fruity-tart finish. The second recognition, however, requires no jury. The Amaro Bavarese was the first organically distilled amaro from Germany, and it thus opened a category previously dominated by Italian names.
Mondino has now also arrived on the bar scene and appears on menus alongside names that have been in business for significantly longer. For a company whose still lay idle for years, this is a long way in just a few years.
Which Bottle for Which Evening
Those trying Mondino for the first time should start with Amaro Bavarese, as it most clearly showcases the house's signature and is immediately understandable in a Spritz.
For a round where not everyone drinks alcohol, Senza elegantly solves the problem, as it looks exactly the same in the glass and tastes just as tart. After a long meal, Stagionato and Amanero come into their own, neat in a snifter or over a single large ice cube. They are also suitable as gifts, precisely because many home bars still lack them.
For the Spritz, the same simple rule applies to all varieties: plenty of ice, more sparkling water than amaro, an orange slice on top. Salty snacks pair better than sweet ones, such as pastries, nuts, and olives, because the salt rounds out the bitterness and keeps the thirst alive. If you prefer no sparkling water, simply pour over a large ice cube and take your time.
If you want to explore further in this area, you'll find lighter companions for an early evening under Aperitif and stronger bottles under Herbal Liqueurs and Bitters. From the same family of bitter herbal extracts come the specialties of Dr. Jaglas, who also inherited their recipes from a family history.
Organic Control Body – DE-ÖKO-007 EU/Non-EU Agriculture
