Bear catch
Bärenfang even Meschkinnes or Petzfang , is from East Prussia derived liqueur of honey , spices and high-proof alcohol . Bear catch has an alcohol content between 20 and 45 % vol .
history
Bear trapping originated in East Prussian households in the 15th century . In some parts of East Prussia, bear trapping was also known as Meschkinnes ( meškinis , from meška , Lithuanian for bear). This specialty has spread worldwide since 1945.
The first commercial provider of bear catching was the company Teucke & König from Königsberg , with their brand Bärenjäger , whose original bottle labels were adorned by a hunter with a captured bear . Great export successes made the liqueur internationally known, so that the German name Bärenjäger or Barenjager (without umlauts ) for this liqueur specialty became naturalized in the English-speaking world .
The drink is also popular in Poland and Lithuania, where it has been enjoyed as krupnik since the 16th century . In Russia , the Stolichnaya company markets a similar drink made from vodka, honey and 24 different herbs and spices under the name Okhotnichya (lit. "Jägervodka").
In Germany, bear catch is also often prepared at home because it is easy to make.
recipe
Blossom honey is dissolved in vodka or high percentage alcohol. For this you give z. B. vanilla pods , cinnamon sticks , cloves , lemon peel and other spices and let it steep for a few days. Then the bear catch is filtered through a fine sieve and possibly filled into a dark vessel to mature. The liqueur must not be kept too cold, otherwise the honey will crystallize out again. There are countless simple or complicated recipes for making bear catch. Bear catch is mostly made from blossom honey, as the use of forest honey (honey made from honeydew) can cause a bitter note.
Web links
- Recipe for homemade bear catch based on vodka
- Recipe for homemade bear catch based on alcohol (PDF 142 kB)