Bärenfang[1] orMeschkinnes is a Germanhoney-flavouredliqueur based onvodka. It is usually available as Teucke & Koenig Bärenjäger a commercial brand of Bärenfang in English-speaking countries.
Bärenfang means 'bear trap';Bärenjäger means 'bear hunter'.[2]Meschkinnes, a term mostly used by people fromEast Prussia, comes fromLithuanianmeškinas, meaning 'male bear'.
Bärenfang has an alcohol content of 30%–45%ABV (60–90proof). In Germany, Bärenfang is often made at home since the basic recipe and many variations of it are readily available. Most homemade Bärenfang is based on vodka, but some recipes with a higher alcohol content are based onneutral spirit.
Bärenfang is always made with honey fromnectar because honey fromhoneydew may have a bitter aftertaste.
Bärenfang was first developed inEast Prussia in the 15th century. Monasteries were integral to its early production and development.[3] It was the first commercial brand of this liqueur that was produced in the capital city ofKönigsberg; it is now produced by the Teucke & Koenig company in the town ofSteinhagen, Germany. A picture of afur trapper trapping a bear is shown on bottles of Teucke & Koenig's Bärenjäger.
Today, Teucke & Koenig is owned bySchwarze & Schlichte, located in the town ofOelde inNorth Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Schwarze & Schlichte also make another brand of Bärenfang that is bottled at 33%ABV (66 proof).
The Bärenfang produced by Teucke & Koenig is widely exported. It is usually sold under the brand name Bärenjäger outside of Germany. There are other producers of Bärenfang in Germany, but their products are less often available in other countries.
Bärenjäger has been reviewed by the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, which gave it gold and silver medals in 2011 and 2012 respectively.[4] Wine Enthusiast rated Bärenjäger in its "85–89" category.
Proof66's averaging of these scores produced an overall score that classified it as a "Tier 1" spirit.[4]
Bärenfang — Likör, der Bienenhonig enthält [liqueur which contains honey]
Honey-basedalcoholic drinks | ||
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| Mead (fermented honey) |  | |
| Alcohol mixed with honey |
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