16 Things You Didn’t Know About Jägermeister

Despite its recent boom in popularity, Jägermeister enjoyed an amazingly long and storied history before everybody decided to drop the bomb -- here are 16 knowledge shots you probably didn’t know...
 

Curt Mast came up with Jäger’s original recipe in 1935, but it was 20 years before that he took over his Father’s vinegar factory in Wolfenbüttel, Germany. Mast stopped producing the acidic stuff to focus entirely on manufacturing spirits, eventually creating the concoction we know and love today. 
 

The mixture of 56 (!) herbs, including citrus peel, licorice, and ginseng, has never changed in the whole 79 years. In fact, the exact ingredients are a company secret.

Jägermeister’s production outgrew the old vinegar factory back in 1958. There are now three bottling plants in total, and just recently the company built a new ultra-modern head office. 
 

For a town of only about 50,000 people, Wolfenbüttel gets a lot of traffic all thanks to the Jägermeister fame. Visitors come to tour the factory and headquarters, and yes, there’s even a Jägermeister Guesthouse. 
 

Before it reaches the bottle, Jägermeister goes through quite a lengthy process. The ingredients are filtered and stored in oak barrels for 365 days. Then there’s a series of 383 quality checks, including another round of filtering with sugar, caramel, alcohol, and water.

While many of us know Jägermeister by way of the nightclub shot glass, it was actually invented as a digestif. In Germany, it’s still popular for an after-dinner sip, that’s why it’s lovingly known as “leberkleister”. 
 

Like many herbal liqueurs, Jägermeister was originally used medicinally, and even today people swear by its healing properties for easing flu symptoms from cough to sore throats. 
 

Contrary to urban legend, vital fluids are not among the 56 ingredients.

Curt Mast “perfected” Jägermeister’s famous green bottle by dropping bottles one after the other onto his kitchen floor. The one that exists today proved to be the most reliable. 
 

Or at least, that's the inherent implication of Jägermeister Spice; a “winter edition” of the herbal liquor made with the same 56 ingredients, but with an emphasis on cinnamon and vanilla and a lower alcohol level.

It’s inspired by a pair of patron saints -- hunters who converted to Christianity after seeing the vision of a crucifix appearing between a stag’s antlers -- the first of which was a Roman general who then, apparently had his newfound faith tested to the limit. His wife was kidnapped, his wealth stole, his servants died, and his children were taken away by a wolf and a lion -- but he held firm, and totally got them all back! Except the servants. 
 

Wasps and flies love Jägermeister too! 
 

Believe it or not, Jägermeister makes flavorful chicken wing sauce, marinade, and even fudgy brownies. For a little inspiration, check out Chef Chris Santos' five-course, Jäger-infused dinner.

Jägermeister’s sales have seriously spiked in this decade. It’s sold in 80 countries, with 80% of sales coming from outside Germany, but Jäg’s especially popular in the US where sales have quadrupled in recent years. 
 

Yet, they only have 530 employees!

... and a certain bovine-themed, wing-giving energy drink.

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