 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Jägermeister" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(December 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
 | |
 | |
| Type | Digestif |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Mast-Jägermeister SE |
| Origin | Germany |
| Alcohol by volume | 35% |
| Proof (US) | 61 (UK) 70 (US) |
| Colour | Dark brown |
| Website | www |
Jägermeister (/ˈjeɪɡərmaɪstər/YAY-gər-my-stər,German:[ˈjɛːɡɐˌmaɪstɐ]ⓘ) is a Germandigestif[1] made with 56herbs andspices. Developed in 1934 by Wilhelm and Curt Mast,[2][3] it has analcohol by volume of 35% (61 degrees proof, or US 70 proof). The recipe has not changed since its creation,[4][better source needed] and the drink continues to be sold in a green glass bottle.[5] It is the flagship product ofMast-Jägermeister SE headquartered inWolfenbüttel, Germany.
Wilhelm Mast was a vinegar manufacturer and wine trader in the city ofWolfenbüttel, Germany. His son, Curt Mast (1897–1970), was passionate about the production ofspirits and liqueurs and always keen to help his father in the business even at an early age. In 1934, at age 37, Curt devised the recipe for "Jägermeister" after he took over his father's business.[5]
Curt was an enthusiastic hunter.[6] The nameJägermeister inGerman literally means "Master Hunter", "Hunt Master", or "master of the hunt".[7][8] It is a title for a high-ranking official in charge of matters related to hunting andgamekeeping. The term "Jägermeister" had existed as a job title for many centuries. In 1934, the newReichsjagdgesetz (Reich hunting law) redefined the term to apply to senior foresters,game wardens, and gamekeepers in the Germancivil service.Hermann Göring was appointedReichsjägermeister (Reich hunting master) when the new hunting law was introduced.[9] Thus, when Jägermeister was introduced in 1935, its name was already familiar to Germans, who sometimes called the product "Göring-Schnaps".[2]
Jägermeister came to greater international attention particularly through the work ofSidney Frank (1919–2006), who ran an American liquor importing company. From the 1980s, he promoted the drink in the youth and student market as a drink for parties—a quite different niche to its traditional conservative brand position in its native German market.[10]New York magazine quoted a market research firm describing him as "a promotional genius" for making "a liqueur with an unpronounceable name...drunk by older, blue-collar Germans as an after-dinner digestive aid... synonymous with 'party'".[11] TheMast-Jägermeister company ultimately purchased Sidney Frank Importing in 2015.[12]
Jägermeister is a type ofliqueur calledKräuterlikör (herbal liqueur). It is akin to other European liqueurs, such asGammel Dansk from Denmark,Ratafia from Catalonia,Făt-Frumos balsam andNucul de Aur from Moldova,Beerenburg from the Netherlands,Unicum from Hungary,Becherovka from the Czech Republic,Gorzka Żołądkowa from Poland,Demänovka from Slovakia,Pelinkovac from Croatia,Riga Black Balsam fromLatvia,Gorki List from Serbia,Fernet-Branca from Italy,Licor Beirão from Portugal, andChartreuse andBénédictine fromFrance. In contrast to those beverages,Jägermeister has a sweeter taste. In Germany itself, there are quite a few competitors, such asKillepitsch,Kuemmerling,Schierker Feuerstein,Schwartzhog,Wurzelpeter, andUnderberg, some of which are as sweet as Jägermeister.[citation needed]
Jägermeister's ingredients include 56 herbs, fruits, roots, and spices, includingcitrus peel,licorice,anise,poppy seeds,saffron,ginger,juniper berries, andginseng.[13] These ingredients are ground, then steeped in water and alcohol for two to three days. This mixture is filtered and stored in oak barrels for about a year. Then the liqueur is filtered again and mixed withsugar,caramel andalcohol.
The company recommends thatJägermeister be kept on ice and served cold, and suggests that it be kept in a freezer at −18 °C (0 °F) or on tap between −15 and −11 °C (5 and 12 °F).[14]
Contrary to a rumor that has circulated on the internet,Jägermeister does not containdeer orelk blood.[13]
.jpg)
The label on Jägermeister bottles features a glowingChristian cross seen between theantlers of astag.[15][16] This image is a reference to the two Christianpatron saints of hunters:Hubert of Liège andEustace, both of whomconverted to Christianity after experiencinga vision in which they saw a Christian cross between the antlers of a stag.[15][16][17][18]
The product name is written in thetextura typeface and is one of the few surviving examples of the use of thelong s in print.
The label contains the following verse from the poemWeidmannsheil, by the forester, hunter, and ornithologistOskar von Riesenthal (although, von Riesenthal is not credited on the label.)[19]
Das ist des Jägers Ehrenschild,
dass er beschützt und hegt sein Wild,
weidmännisch jagt, wie sich's gehört,
den Schöpfer im Geschöpfe ehrt.
According toMast-Jägermeister SE,[20][full citation needed] the translation is:
It is the hunter's honour that he
Protects and preserves his game,
Hunts sportsmanlike, honours the
Creator in His creatures.
A loose translation which preserves therhyme andmeter is:
This is the hunter's badge of glory,
That he protect and tend his quarry,
Hunt with honour, as is due,
And through the beast to God is true.
In 2012Jägermeister launched premixed drinks as a brand extension. The drinks come in two flavours, "raw" and "gingerlime".[26]
From 2013 to 2016Jägermeister launched a seasonal line extension calledWinterkräuter in German andSpice in English, it included cinnamon and vanilla flavours.[27][28] In 2025Winterkräuter was re-released under the name "Winter Edition".[29]
In 2018Jägermeister launched apremium line extension titled Manifest. The 38%ABV spirit is twice oak-aged and not to be served ice cold.[30]
In 2019Jägermeister launched the first of its karakter series,Scharf, also known asJägermeisterHot Ginger.[31] Each extension in thekarakter series was intended to highlight one ofJägermeister's 56 signature herbs and spices. As of January 2021, no further extensions under thekarakter series have been announced.
In 2019Jägermeister launchedJägermeister Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur, using its original recipe with fair trade coffee and cacao added.[32]
In 2023, Jägermeister Austria launched a special edition called ArtsyApes. The edition shows hand-painted apes on canvas. There are 3,777 different designs.[33]
In 2025Jägermeister launched Jägermeister Orange in central Europe.[34][35]
From the 1970s, theJägermeister brand has developed an association withmotor racing, as they have sponsored various European racing teams, primarily those who fieldedBMWs[36] andPorsches. These teams have competed in various major racing series includingFormula One (March andEuroBrun),DRM (Max Moritz,[37]Kremer,Zakspeed),DTM andGroup C (Brun Motorsport), who took the team title in the1986 World Sportscar Championship.
Jägermeister's orange livery is one of the more commonly recognised in motorsport. TheSpanishFly slot car brand has recently brought out model cars with the distinctive design. More recently, they[who?] introduced theNaylor RacingNHRAPro Stock car, minus the orange livery.[38] An article in the January 31, 2008, edition ofAutosport listed the livery as one of the twenty most iconic commercial colour schemes.[39]
Jägermeister is associated withGerman football, especially theBundesliga. In 1973,Eintracht Braunschweig became the firstBundesliga team to place a sponsor's logo on its jersey,[40] although the team rejected a related proposal to rename itselfEintracht Jägermeister.[41] The sponsorship, very controversial at the time, paid the team 100,000 DM (€51,130) and introduced a new way of doing business in football. Other teams quickly followed suit. Jägermeister now displays its advertisements at several football stadiums in Germany.[citation needed]
Jägermeister also had an involvement in Europeantable tennis when it sponsored German clubTTC Jägermeister Calw and was a personal sponsor ofDragutin Šurbek.[citation needed]
As of 2018, Jägermeister has sponsored the National Hockey League (NHL) as the official shot of the NHL.[citation needed]
In 2024, theUSL announced a new competition open to teams playing inUSL League One called theUSL Cup, which is now open toUSL Championship teams as well. It has been known as theJägermeister Cup due to sponsorship reasons since its foundation.[citation needed]
In the United States,Jägermeister became popular through promotion bySidney Frank and through its association withheavy metal androck music bands, such asMurphy's Law,Halestorm,Metallica,Mötley Crüe,Pantera,Slayer,HIM,Crossfaith,Epica,The Bloodhound Gang,Psychostick,Big John Bates andTurbonegro.[42]Jägermeister was the tour sponsor of numerous bands of this genre.[43]
Jägermeister has been a sponsor of the second stage at the RockstarMayhem Festival since 2008.[44] Mayhem Fest is a largehard rock andmodern metal festival that tours the United States and Canada.[44] In 2008, the stage featured the bandsMachine Head,Airbourne,Five Finger Death Punch andWalls of Jericho.[45] The 2009 Mayhem FestJäger Stage featuredTrivium,All That Remains andGod Forbid.[46] The 2010 stage featured the bandsHatebreed,Chimaira,Shadows Fall andWinds of Plague.[47] The 2011 stage featuredUnearth,Kingdom of Sorrow, andRed Fang.[48] The 2012 stage featured Anthrax,Asking Alexandria, and more.[citation needed]
TheJägermeister Music Tour, which was owned by Sidney Frank Importing, was an event that was held each year in the spring and fall.[citation needed]
In Australia,Jägermeister sponsors theAIR Charts,[49] which are Australia's official independent music charts (run by theAustralian Independent Record Labels Association).
In 2020Jägermeister USA launched a program titled "Meister Class", an initiative to provide emerging musicians with insight from and access to artistsMustard,Smino, andEarthGang.[50]
On December 18, 2020, it was announced thatJägermeister USA donated one million dollars toNIVA Emergency Relief Fund in support of venues struggling due toCOVID-19 restrictions.[51]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the spirits manufacturer providedBraunschweig Hospital with 50,000 liters of alcohol for the production of disinfectants. According to the company, this donation was intended to contribute to the fight against theSARS-CoV-2 virus.[52]
Jägermeister:höherer Jagdbeamter (i.e., a high-ranking government official in charge of matters related to hunting)
TheJägermeister logo, a stag with a cross between its horns, is the symbol of St. Hubert, the patron saint of dogs and hunters. According to the legend, while hunting in the forest Hubert encountered a stag with a glowing crucifix hovering between...
The logo has a deer with a cross between its antlers, recalling a vision in the life of St Hubert, the patron saint of hunters.
Hubert and Eustace are very similar, though the period of their conversions was nearly 600 years apart. Both saints were of noble birth and passionately devoted to the chase, and both were converted by an encounter with a milk white stag, bearing a crucifix between its horns.
The Jägermeister logo, which shows the head of a stag with a glowing cross between its antlers, is a reference to the stories of Saint Hubertus and Saint Eustace.
