# How to make Jagermeister palatable? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 5, 2018, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886 "2018-04-05T18:37:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2018, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886/21 "2018-04-05T22:42:09Z")
Try drinking Fernet, instead. It is similar but not as sweet. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2018, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886/22 "2018-04-05T22:49:38Z")
I don’t drink anymore, but when I did drink - and I drank and appreciated a wide variety of drinks, from Islay scotches to craft beers to wines to idiosyncratic mixed drinks - it was readily apparent to me on the only time that I tried Jagermeister, that it is disgusting shit, not an “acquired taste”, just shitty - a relic from the time when primitive people were desperate to brew alcohol out of whatever plants were available. Most human cultures have some version of this type of drink; it was probably also used as “medicine” by a lot of people who _tolerated_ the taste of it because it dulled the pain of the arrow or spear being pulled out of their liver or whatever. Eventually, better medicines were developed, but the “licquers” hung on, probably in some cases to try to skirt rules about drinking from whatever religious or civil authorities looked down on it, in other cases because it was cheap to make, and in some cases because people actually deluded themselves into thinking it tasted good. Jagermeister, Slivovitz, “Malort”, Chartreuse, all of that shit is in this category to me. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2018, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886/23 "2018-04-05T23:01:27Z")
> [@Jacquernagy](#): > > I > Jagermeister, Slivovitz, “Malort”, Chartreuse, all of that shit is in this category to me. All of which I love. 🙂 I’m not sure Slivovitz can really be included in that, though. It’s distilled from plums. Nothing is added to it afterwards. It’s pure eau-de-vie. The rest are alcoholic drinks with flavors added to them _after_ distillation. They’re more like macerations of a neutral spirit with botanicals. My family is Polish, so we live on this kind of stuff (_nalewki_.) Pretty much every Polish family I know has some sort of vodka or grain spirit that’s been sitting on herbs and/or fruit, honey/sugar syrup/whatnot. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2018, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886/24 "2018-04-05T23:08:35Z")
> [@Jacquernagy](#): > > a relic from the time when primitive people were desperate to brew alcohol out of whatever plants were available. This is just incorrect. The types of drinks you are talking about have the flavorings added _afterwards_. You come up with a neutral spirit first using a grain or some other sugar/starch source of some sort. You _then_ add those types of flavors after distillation and age them. In other words, you distill the alcohol from something else, first. It’s not “brewing alcohol out of whatever plants were available.” You basically start with a vodka or Everclear type of thing, then start piling herbs and spices in there to your liking, dilute it down with water and sugar to 40% abv (or whatever you prefer), and you’re good to go. ---
**Author:** ![Periwinkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Periwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Periwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2018, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886/25 "2018-04-05T23:17:25Z")
I have it on hand because I used to work with someone who liked it. I ran across a simple recipe called the Drunk German that just called for mixing it with root beer. I didn’t care for it much but if you’re experimenting maybe you could try it. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886/26 "2018-04-06T00:12:18Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Take the shot glass in your hand. Point behind your friend and shout “Look! An alien attack craft!” When she turns to look, pour the shot onto a potted plant you don’t like. Put the glass to your mouth like you drank the vile stuff. Smile when your friend turns back around. Why do you hate plants? Stranger ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886/27 "2018-04-06T00:28:47Z")
It’s not cheap, but consider Absinthe. It has the same licorice flavor but is better suited to sipping. Plus, it has the whole ritual of preparing it with ice cold water and a sugar cube. Classier than Jager. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886/28 "2018-04-06T00:31:48Z")
If you want licorice flavour, I’d recommend Galliano. Make some [harvey wallbangers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Wallbanger). Also, I don’t like it as much (but it is still way better than Jager), but try Ouzo. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886/29 "2018-04-06T00:49:59Z")
If you don’t like it you don’t like it - nothing wrong with that, you’re entitled to your opinion (and you have plenty of company!) Why try mixing it with something in an attempt to make the experience less bad? - if you want to “be social”, bring something YOU like and offer to share it. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886/30 "2018-04-06T00:54:56Z")
Take shot after drinking 5 beers, turn your baseball cap backwards and keep taking shots as you drink more beers. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886/31 "2018-04-06T01:00:58Z")
> [@Periwinkle](#): > > I have it on hand because I used to work with someone who liked it. I ran across a simple recipe called the Drunk German that just called for mixing it with root beer. I didn’t care for it much but if you’re experimenting maybe you could try it. Oh, _barf_. My two least favorite flavors - Licorice and Root Beer - mixed together. This is the drink that O’Brien will use on me when my turn comes to betray my wife. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886/32 "2018-04-06T01:09:41Z")
I’ve always been a bit baffled about how Jagermeister became a thing here in the US. My family comes from an herbal liqueur tradition, so we love that kind of stuff, as well as Unicum, Becherovka, Benedictine, Fernet, Lillet, Underberg, etc. But this tends to be a love of Central and some Western Europeans, in my experience. Most people I know just can’t do the bitter herbal stuff. Yes Jagermeister, somehow, is popular here. What marketing genius broke through to the Americans on this product? ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886/33 "2018-04-06T01:12:08Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’ve always been a bit baffled about how Jagermeister became a thing here in the US. My family comes from an herbal liqueur tradition, so we love that kind of stuff, as well as Unicum, Becherovka, Benedictine, Fernet, Lillet, Underberg, etc. But this tends to be a love of Central and some Western Europeans, in my experience. Most people I know just can’t do the bitter herbal stuff. Yes Jagermeister, somehow, is popular here. What marketing genius broke through to the Americans on this product? It’s so gross that it became macho to drink it to prove your manliness, or some crap. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886/34 "2018-04-06T01:55:05Z")
> [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](#): > > Jagerbombs sound like a drink you drink to get drunk. Not my intention; I’m aiming for pleasantly buzzed. Besides why would I ruin good beer by sullying it with Jager? Then don’t drink Jager. Seriously, life is way too short to drink something you don’t like for for no good reason. And, no, “because my friend’s drinking it” is _not_ a good reason. I’m sure they’d be fine with you drinking something else… and doesn’t a nice glass of wine, or a margarita, sound better than licorice rubbing alcohol? The more I think about this, wouldn’t a real friend want you to drink what _you_ like? We did a great trip to Florida, and without planning it, we ended up with everyone drinking something different. We stocked up on wine (turned out Carol drank the white, Jan the red) and rum (Mattie drank it on the rocks, I had the rest with Mexican Coke). Then Pete found a good deal on some Single Malt Scotch, and Grace made margaritas. If anyone had said “I don’t like this, but I’ll drink it because you like it.” we’d have yelled at them “No, you drink what YOU like, and leave MY favorite for ME!” So unless your friend will go ballistic if everyone doesn’t like what they like, buy something else. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886/35 "2018-04-06T02:21:42Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > It’s so gross that it became macho to drink it to prove your manliness, or some crap. That was certainly the thrust behind the resurgence of a local drink called malort. While I enjoy that stuff, too, it’s definitely a real tough sell otherwise. I don’t really see Jagermeiester as being particularly bad or “manly” to drink. For an herbal liqueur, it’s definitely more middle-of-the-road or downright pleasant. A lot of the traditional Italian liqueurs are far more herbal and bitter. The people I know who drink Jager actually do seem to like it, so it’s not like something like malort, where it’s a bit of a “drink challenge” for most people. I’d even say it’s a bit “girly”, if anything, with its cloying sweetness. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886/36 "2018-04-06T02:26:13Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > What marketing genius broke through to the Americans on this product? [Sidney Frank](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Frank) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886/37 "2018-04-06T02:32:52Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > [Sidney Frank](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Frank) Well, there we go! Interesting that he was also the marketing genius behind Grey Goose. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886/38 "2018-04-06T02:50:35Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’ve always been a bit baffled about how Jagermeister became a thing here in the US. My family comes from an herbal liqueur tradition, so we love that kind of stuff, as well as Unicum, Becherovka, Benedictine, Fernet, Lillet, Underberg, etc. But this tends to be a love of Central and some Western Europeans, in my experience. Most people I know just can’t do the bitter herbal stuff. Yes Jagermeister, somehow, is popular here. What marketing genius broke through to the Americans on this product? [Sidney Frank](https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2015/01/grey-goose-a-brand-history/), the same guy who came up with Grey Goose vodka. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886/39 "2018-04-06T02:57:40Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > [Sidney Frank](https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2015/01/grey-goose-a-brand-history/), the same guy who came up with Grey Goose vodka. You must’ve had that reply window open for awhile. You got beaten to the punch with both halves of that info by about a half hour. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886/40 "2018-04-06T03:35:08Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I drink it straight as a digestif. I think it’s quite good. I can’t imagine mixing it with anything. I always loved the taste and I really don’t love licorice. It’s like licorice that doesn’t suck. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-make-jagermeister-palatable/811886.md?page=3)