Its history dates back to 1892 when Hugo Asbach (1868–1935) founded the company in the town of Rüdesheim am Rhein.

Asbach, a native from Cologne, learned the distillery trade at the local "Export-Company for German Cognac" and further improved his knowledge in France.

After World War I, when the Treaty of Versailles decreed that the word Cognac could only be used for French products, Hugo Asbach coined the term Weinbrand for German brandy,[1] which in 1923 became an official classification according to German wine law.

The coffee drink Rüdesheimer Kaffee, invented in 1957, contains Asbach as its alcoholic ingredient.

As a long drink, it is often mixed with Cola products; especially in traditional pubs in the Berlin area, where it is served as Futschi.