The official Oktoberfest event in Munich, Germany may have drawn to a close, but plenty of places celebrate the festival throughout October. While we’re in the spirit of all things German booze, why not try some German cocktails?
Some of these feature beer, the Oktoberfest standby, and others showcase Germany’s array of spirits and liqueurs. So if you’re interested in learning about German flavors beyond beer (which is great, and you should also try) then read on.
Berliner Weisse
The Berliner Weisse is a cloudy, sour beer which has a sharp and tart flavor. While some people like drinking it as it, traditionally it is mixed with sweet syrups to offset the sour flavor. If you go to a German beer garden in the summer or fall, you’ll see people of all ages sipping on these brightly colored concotions, with the two most popular flavors being waldmeister (also known as sweet woodruff, with a rather alarming green color) and raspberry (a jolly bright red).
There isn’t really a fixed ratio here — typically you just take a beer and top it up with about a shot of syrup. I prefer the raspberry version myself, and it’s easy to make using any sour beer you have to hand.
Ingredients:
- 16 oz. sour beer
- 1 oz. fruit syrup of your choice
Method:
Pour the beer into a beer glass, and add a shot of syrup. Simple as that!
Bärenjäger Sour
The Bärenjäger (bear hunter) liqueur is a traditional German honey liqueur allegedly used to tempt bears out of hiding in earlier centuries. I’m not sure how effective that would have been, but it is certainly effective at tempting my friends over for a round of shots. It really does taste exactly like honey, though its texture is not as thick so it’s still possible to mix with it.
As the liqueur is sweet, I like to balance this with lemon juice, turning it into a sour. If you enjoy some froth on your sours, you can also add an egg white or a glug of aquafaba to the recipe as well — I find the hint of salt from the aquafaba to be an excellent addition to the drink.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Bärenjäger
- 1 oz. lemon juice
- Egg white or aquafaba to create foam (optional)
Method:
Shake all ingredient with ice and pour into a couple glass.
Jägerita
This iconic recipe by Jeffrey Morgenthaler takes an ingredient with a less than stellar reputation and turns it into something really special. It uses the template of a margarita, but puts Jägermeister in place of the tequila, making the drink more herbal and unexpectedly complex.
Jägermeister actually has a very interesting herbal flavor, and it deserves better than being resigned to Jägerbombs, so try out this combination and see if it improves your view of this much maligned liqueur.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz. Jägermeister
- 0.75 oz. Cointreau
- 0.75 oz. lime juice
- 0.75 oz. simple syrup
Method:
Add all ingredients to a shaker tin along with ice and shake well. Strain into a couple glass and garnish with a lime wheel.
