German liquor has become quite popular the world over. Known for their unique tastes and blends, German liquors have caught up with their French counter parts in popularity.
One of the most popular varieties of German Liquor goes by the name of Jägermeister. This liquor is made with herbs and spices and is a 70 proof digestif. This term was introduced in Germany and applied to senior gamekeepers and foresters of the German Civil Services. The liquor of the same name was introduced in 1935 and was made by Curt Mast who was an enthusiastic hunter.
The Jägermeister is similar in taste to other central European liquors such as Unicum from Hungary, Grammel Dansk which is a Danish liquor, and Becherovka, a liquor from the Czech Republic. However, when compared to these beverages, the Jägermeister has a comparatively sweeter taste. This beverage is a combination of 56 herbs and spices including fruits and plant roots.
Some of the ingredients that go into making the Jägermeister are poppy seeds, star anise, citrus peels, liquorice, saffron, juniper berries etc. Contrary to legend, this drink was said to have deer or elk blood but this is nothing more than urban legend. Once these ingredients have been ground and pressed they are steeped in an alcohol and water mix for a period of two to three days.
After filtering this mix it is aged in oak barrels for a period of one year. After this period of time the liquor is filtered once more and sugar, caramel, water and alcohol are added to it. Once this process is completed the liquor goes for bottling after one final filtration.
The Bärenfang is another variety of flavored German liquor. The base of this liquor is vodka and it is flavored with honey. This drink has a high alcohol content of 30 to 40%. This drink is also a popular homemade recipe and has a number of variations.
Most of the Bärenfang which is made at home is made with vodka but for some who want a higher alcohol content use a neutral base spirit. Another thing which makes the Bärenfang as special is that the honey used in making this drink is honey which has been made from nectar. Honey made from nectar is preferred to make this liquor as honey made from morning dew has a bitter aftertaste.
Another variety of German liquor that is quite popular is Apfelkorn. This is an apple flavored liquor and is very sweet in taste. This liquor uses 100% wheat spirits such as wheat vodka in its preparation. This wheat based spirit is blended with the ripe sweet apples to get its refreshing taste. This was one of the first liquors to have entered the German market in the 1970’s and is also confused as a variety of Schnapps. This is so because of the low alcohol content of this liquor which ranges between 15 to 20%. This liquor is still extremely popular in the world market.
Dooley’s is a German Liquor which has a cream base. It has an alcohol content of 17% and uses Vodka as its base spirit. Some of the other ingredients used to make Dooley’s are cream, milk, sugar and flavoring and is very popular as the Dooley’s 101 milkshake.