Jägermeister is a strong (70-proof; 35%) liqueur flavored with herbs. It is the flagship product of Mast-Jägermeister AG, headquartered in Wolfenbüttel, south of Braunschweig, Germany.
Jägermeister’s recipe is a secret; it is claimed to be a blend of 56 herbs. Although licorice is a major component of its flavor, it is not as predominant in Jägermeister as it is in true licorice-flavored liqueurs. It is a digestive spirit similar to other Central European stomach bitters, such as Gammel Dansk from Denmark, the Hungarian Unicum, or Czech Becherovka. In contrast to many such drinks, Jägermeister has a sweet flavor. On tap, the drink is ideally served at 4°C.
Jägermeister is a strong (70-proof; 35%) liqueur flavored with herbs. It is the flagship product of Mast-Jägermeister AG, headquartered in Wolfenbüttel, south of Braunschweig, Germany.
Within Germany, the term Bitter applies only to those bitters that actually are bitter. Since Jägermeister has a sweet flavor, it is instead considered a Kräuterlikör (literally: herbs liqueur). There are many other brands of Kräuterlikör in Germany, some of them with a longer tradition than Jägermeister but very most of them aren’t exported into other countries and Jägermeister is also the market leader in Germany.
The word Jägermeister in German means “hunter expert” (combining Jäger, hunter, and Meister, master). The Jägermeister logo, the head of a stag with a glowing cross between the antlers, is a reference to the story of Saint Hubert. On the edge of the label of a Jägermeister bottle, the following poem by Otto von Riesenthal is printed:
Das ist des Jägers Ehrenschild,
daß er beschützt und hegt sein Wild,
weidmännisch jagt, wie sich’s gehört,
den Schöpfer im Geschöpfe ehrt.
In English:
This is the hunter’s badge of honour,
that he protect and nourish his game,
hunt sportingly, as is proper,
and honour the Creator in creation.
Or, slightly more loosely but preserving rhyme and meter:
This is the hunter’s badge of glory:
That he protects and tends his quarry,
Hunts with honour, as is due,
And through the beast to God is true.
The company was founded in 1878 by Wilhelm Mast. In 1934, the recipe for the herbal liquor was developed, and the product was introduced to the German market in 1935. The original purpose of this concoction was medicinal; being used to cure everything from an incessant cough to digestive problems. In Germany, it is still widely recognized as a digestif and is kept in many German households for such purposes, sometimes being irreverently called Leberkleber, or “liver-glue.”
Beginning in 1970, it was exported to 60 countries. In the United States, it became popular through savvy promotion by Sidney Frank and association with the wild partying of heavy metal bands like Metallica, Pantera and Slayer. Jäägermeister is the tour sponsor of underground metal bands such as Hemlock, Orange Goblin, Dog Fashion Disco and 8mm Overdose, and it also sponsors the biannual Jägermeister Music Tour. The product is widely used as an alcoholic “shooter” and is served in many American bars today very cold.
Der Spirituosenhersteller Jägermeister startet mit einer groß angelegten Promostory-Kampagne ins neue Jahr. Unter dem Titel “Jägermeister Wildshopping” präsentiert der zum Kultdrink avancierte Kräuterlikör fünfminütige Werbesendungen. Inspiriert von den Teleshoppingkanälen zeigt Jägermeister mit der eigenen TV-Verkaufsshow eine humorvolle Parodie auf die gängigen Home-Shopping Sendungen. Präsentiert wird “Jägermeister Wildshopping” von den beiden aus den TV-Spots bekannten Hirschen Rudi und Ralph, die von zwei Assistentinnen unterstützt werden. Pro Sendung werden drei Produkte angeboten, wobei es das erste nur in limitierte Auflage zu kaufen gibt, die beiden anderen Merchandising-Artikel sind auch in der aktuellen Kollektion des Jägermeister Wildshops erhältlich. Sämtliche “Wildshopping““-Artikel können über eine Telefon-Hotline und Online bestellt werden.