A Modern Day Honey Liquer with Medieval roots

You’ve seen whiskey and honey liqueur.  You’ve seen brandy and honey liqueur.  Now check out the original honey liqueur that dates back to the Middle Ages in Europe.

 
In Medieval Germany there was a select band of rugged and doughty hunters who sought bears in the dark forests and mountains.  These bear hunters…literally, Bärenjägers…had a guild secret that helped them lure the bears, a special sweet mead called “mechkinnes”made from sweet, fragrant honey and woodland herbs.

The Bärenjägers also learned that, in addition to luring the bears they hunted, it was pretty tasty for humans and warmed the spirit on cold, dank nights in the deep forests.

Eventually, a version of this fabled drink named after the bearhunters became a standard tipple for the locals and then widely known to traders and visitors to the area.

Now this fabled liqueur, still popular in Europe, is finding its way to America as well and can be found in many States.

The curious oddity of this famous medieval drink?  Nowadays it is made from New World honey: to be specific, a particularly fragrant honey from the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.

Bärenjäger is found in select bars as well. Many upper end cocktail establishments are happy to concoct a luscious cocktail based on Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur.  Drop in and try one.

Hopefully, there won’t be any bears around.

By Hoke Harden

Managing Editor:  Oregon Spirits Digest (coming Winter '11)