In memory of the old days of the Knapov family, we have prepared an "ennobled" wormwood bitter, to which we have added selected herbs for a more excellent taste.
All herbs of the Hiša zrđelje brand are grown in Slovenia, in the pre-Alpine region at an altitude of around 1000 meters. We do not use artificial fertilizers or sprays to grow herbs. The entire production process, from planting herbs to packaging herbal products, is the result of manual labor. Because we swear by quality, we weave only the best parts of herbs into our products.
Wormwood tea was recommended to the nobles as an excellent disinfectant for the oral cavity by Dr. Joannes Antonius Scopoli, the first trained doctor sent by Maria Theresa to serve in Idrija, but the nobles, of course, "spiced up" this "tea" a little.
Franc Lapanje, the long-time "manager" of the once famous Nebesa Inn, known among the people of Idrija as the "Father of Heaven", wrote the recipe for geruš as follows:
"We make Geruš like this: we boil the wormwood to make a kind of syrup. From this syrup we make Geruš by taking 1/8 l of natural alcohol (usually spirit) for 1 l, about 1/10 l of this bitter, and the rest up to 1 l of water. Mix everything well and the drink is ready."
The water for the geruš had to be cold, fresh, clear spring water. Drinking the bitter drink, which was prepared separately and on site for each occasion, was a kind of ritual, so only the oldest member had the right to prepare it, while the others also contributed ingredients.
The "elder" mixed the bottle with the ingredients by tilting it left and right in his hands, while saying the words: "Now I give you, then you give me."
