Jägermeister

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Jägermeister

Type	Liqueur
Alcohol by volume	35%
Proof	70
Manufacturer	Mast-Jägermeister AG
Country of origin	Wolfenbüttel, Germany
Introduced	1935
Colour	Red-Brown/Black

Jägermeister is a German 70 proof liqueur made with herbs, roots, and spices. It is the flagship product of Mast-Jägermeister AG, headquartered in Wolfenbüttel, south of Braunschweig, Germany. Contrary to urban legend, it is not made with deer or elk blood.^[1]

1 Preparation
2 History
3 Sponsorship
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Preparation

Jägermeister's recipe is a trade secret. It is a digestif spirit similar to other Central European stomach bitters, such as Gammel Dansk from Denmark, the Hungarian Unicum, Gorki List from Serbia, or Czech Becherovka. In contrast to many such drinks, Jägermeister tastes less bitter. On the web site, Mast-Jägermeister, it is suggested that the drink be kept in the freezer, typically -18 °C (0 °F), and "on tap" machines that will cool it to between -11 °C to -15 °C (5 °F to 12 °F).

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 "herbal liqueur"). Most of the many other brands of Kräuterlikör in Germany are not widely exported. Jägermeister is the market leader in Germany.^{[citation needed]}

In German, Jägermeister means "Hunter - Master" (combining Jäger, hunter, and Meister, master in the sense of accomplished professional, leader and certified teacher under the medieval German guild system, as opposed to "Lehrling" = apprentice, and "Geselle" = journeyman). As a legal term, "Jägermeister" was introduced in 1934 to designate senior foresters and hunters in the forestry administration. 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 (1848) 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 the creature.

Or, a more loose translation that preserves 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.

And, according to Jagermeister A.G.: The ring around the label on the bottle translates to--

"It is the hunter's honor that he

protects and preserves his game,

hunts sportsmanlike, honors the

Creator in his creatures."

[edit] History

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. As one of Hermann Göring's functions under the Nazi regime was Reichsjägermeister ("Reich hunter master": meaning he was head of all German hunters), it is widely considered to have been created to honor Göring.^{[citation needed]}

The original purpose of this concoction was medicinal; being used to cure everything from an incessant cough to digestive problems. It was used in World War II as a field anesthetic.^{[citation needed]} In Germany, it is still widely recognized as a digestif, and is kept in many German households for such purposes, sometimes being irreverently called Leberkleister (i.e., "liver-glue"). It is also commonly used in small quantities around the home as an insect trap, as small flies and wasps are drawn to the sweet smell and taste of the drink.^{[citation needed]}

As of 1970, Jägermeister was exported to fifty countries. In the United States, it became popular through savvy promotion by Sidney Frank. The product is widely used as an alcoholic "shooter" and is served very cold in many American bars today.

[edit] Sponsorship

Jägermeister sponsored Brun Motorsport Porsche 956

From the 1970's, the Jägermeister brand has developed an association with motor racing, as they have sponsored various European racing teams, primarily those who fielded BMWs^[2] and Porsches. These teams have competed in various major racing series including: Formula One (March and EuroBrun), DRM (Max Moritz^[3], Kremer, Zakspeed), DTM and Group C (Brun Motorsport), who took the team title in the 1986 World Sportscar Championship.

Jägermeister's orange livery is one of the more commonly recognized in motorsport. The Spanish Fly slot car brand has recently brought out model cars with the distinctive design. More recently, they introduced the Naylor Racing NHRA Pro Stock car, minus its signature orange livery.^[4] The livery's notability was proven when an article of the January 31, 2008 edition of Autosport listed it as one of twenty most iconic commercial color schemes.^[5]

Jägermeister also had its involvement in table tennis, as it sponsored a domestic team called TTC Jägermeister Calw, and was a personal sponsor of Dragutin Šurbek.

Jägermeister is also associated with the German football league, especially in Bundesliga. The Eintracht Braunschweig team were the first to sport a sponsor logo on their jerseys, although they refused a related attempt to re-name the team Eintracht Jägermeister. The move paid the team 100,000 DM (€51,130) and introduced a new way of doing business in football that is worth millions today. Other clubs quickly followed suit. Now, Jägermeister sponsors advertising at various football stadiums in Germany.^[6]

In the United States, it became popular through the savvy promotion of Sidney Frank, and by association with the wild partying of heavy metal bands like Metallica, Mötley Crüe, Pantera and Slayer. Jägermeister is the tour sponsor of numerous underground rock and ska bands such as Spunge, Chimaira, GWAR, Dope, Hanzel und Gretyl, Hemlock, Mushroomhead, Orange Goblin, Dog Fashion Disco, Bloodhound Gang, SikTh, My Ruin, Corrupt Absolute and Electric Eel Shock^[7]. The brand also sponsors the biannual Jägermeister Music Tour, and has been referred to by numerous bands and artists in songs. Jägermeister was also a supporter of Ozzfest 2007 (Freefest). Free samples were given to people over the age of 21 that carried a valid id.