Jagermeister

Jagermeister has been produced by Mast-Jagermeister SE in Wolfenbuttel, Germany since 1935, when Curt Mast developed the recipe as a tribute to hunters and the patron saint of hunting, Saint Hubertus.

The name translates roughly to master of hunters, and the iconic label featuring a stag with a glowing cross between its antlers reflects that origin. The liqueur is made from a blend of 56 botanicals, including ginger root, citrus peel, star anise, and licorice, among many others that remain proprietary.

The ingredients are macerated in neutral alcohol, then blended with water, sugar, and caramel before being rested in oak barrels for roughly a year. The result is a dark, syrupy herbal liqueur bottled at 35 percent alcohol by volume.

Jagermeister occupies an interesting position in the spirits world: it is one of the best-selling liqueurs globally and carries genuine heritage, yet it remains widely approachable and affordable.

It works well served ice cold as a shot, which is the most common way people drink it, but it also holds up in simple long drinks with ginger beer or cola.

For those willing to look beyond its reputation as a party shot, Jagermeister has real complexity from its botanical base that rewards slower sipping when well chilled.