Frat-boy Fave Jägermeister Is Taking a Shot at the Cocktail Crowd

The 83-year-old German liqueur has 56 secret ingredients

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It’s not easy being Jägermeister, the 70-proof amaro (spicy liqueur) from Germany. Despite its long lineage and proud traditions, American drinkers just have no respect.

First, there’s the brand’s stateside reputation as a favorite libation of, shall we say, young men who like to wear their baseball caps backwards. Jägermeister has been called a “seduction tool for horny frat boys” (iLyke), “a liquor best known for getting underage guys with fake IDs wasted” (Men’s Journal) and “the drink of bro culture” (Paste).

Jägermeister’s hunting roots (shown in these insets of its old advertising) remain central to the brand’s identity, and while the company still ages its liqueur in oak casks (far right), a modern facility in Wolfenbüttel, Germany (above) bottles the brew now.
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This story first appeared in the February 13, 2017, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.