Courtesy Sidney Frank Importing Co.

My love affair with honey started at a young age.  I loved the way it tasted, how it felt in my mouth.  As I grew older, my love of the stuff grew as well.  Stories of how honey was fermented and served as mead in the great drinking halls of old captivated me.  So, when I first saw this interesting bottle sitting on the shelf in the liquor store with its woven sleeve of rafia and with a cap like a beehive I was intrigued.  Not so much by the interesting wrapper, but by the familiar allure of honey.  Yes, like a bee to a beehive I was hooked.  I simply had to try it.  What could be wrong with something made from honey?

What is Barenjager?  One thing it is not is mead. Barenjager is made not from fermentation of honey, but from blending honey with grain alcohol. This allows the honey flavor and texture to shine through.  While not mead, I’m sure that Barenjager would’ve been enjoyed in days of old.   According to their website at www.barenjagerhoney.com , bear hunters, hence the word “barenjager”, in medieval Europe drank something called meschkinnes, a kind of moonshine made from honey by area beekeepers and farmers.  In the 15th century, one company called the Teucke and Koing Bear Trap Company introduced Barenjager, the first professionally produced meschkinnes.  Today, Barenjager is produced by Schwarze and Schlicte and imported by Sidney Frank Importing Company.

I wasn’t disappointed in tasting Barenjager.  Like those spoonfuls of honey I snuck as a child, it coated my throat with enough honey sweetness to know I was indeed tasting something made from honey.  Of course, there is a little alcohol burn at the end, but not enough to prevent anyone from drinking Barenjager neat.

I decided to try one of the recipes included with the product, the Pink Honey Martini.  I shudder at calling it a martini, but hey, we’ve all done it, right?  The recipe is calls for 1 part Barenjager, 2 parts vodka, splash of cranberry juice, and sweet and sour mix.  The verdict….can’t taste the Barenjager.  So, I dialed down the recipe to 1 part Barenjager, 1 part vodka, splash of cranberry, and sour mix.  Much better.  Barenjager lends a sweetness to the cocktail of honey, of all things.

While this drink may not be my cup of tea, it was good to see how it would mix with other ingredients.  Personally, I prefer Barenjager served neat.  However, I am sure it would be delightful warmed in the wintertime.