Wurzelpeter is a
Kräuterlikör
Kräuterlikör () (herbal liqueur or spiced liqueur)
is a type of liqueur that is flavored with herbs or spices and is traditionally drunk neat or on ice as a digestif, which is very similar to the concept of an Italian amaro. A distinction is m ...
-type
liqueur
A liqueur ( , ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of Liquor, spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-age ...
produced in Germany. It is flavoured with a variety of herbs, bark, and roots: its name references the latter (''Wurzel'' in the
German language
German (, ) is a West Germanic language in the Indo-European language family, mainly spoken in Western Europe, Western and Central Europe. It is the majority and Official language, official (or co-official) language in Germany, Austria, Switze ...
).
History
Production was started in 1935 in Berlin-Mitte by Paul Pöschke
[Thurer, A]
Interview: DIE MACHER VON WURZELPETER IM GESPRÄCH
''fizz.de'', 22 Jun 2017 and Walter Heyer. The recipe was claimed to be documented as far back as 1875.
[Kohler and Birnstiel (2002) ''Historische Gasthöfe in Berlin und Brandenburg'', Bebra Verlag, p.154] Pöschke, a cycling enthusiast, organised sponsorship of cycling events by the company.
[Ronald Huster: ''Statt Wurzelpeter die erste Ostzonenrundfahrt 1949''; aus Jutta Braun, Hans Joachim Teichler: ''Sportstadt Berlin im Kalten Krieg''. Prestigekämpfe und Systemwettstreit, Ch. Links Verlag, 2016, S. 288] In 1949 Heyer resigned, but the company was leased by Max Finke and continued in operation.
From 1961, when Pöschke departed for West Germany, production of Wurzelpeter was taken over by the state enterprise
VEB Bärensiegel Berlin in Berlin-Adlershof. This company had its administrative headquarters in Berlin-Lichtenberg, on the Josef-Orlopp-Straße, where there was also a production branch. Wurzelpeter gradually gained some status as a cult drink, and was considered to be the
East German
East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from its formation on 7 October 1949 until its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on 3 October 1990. Until 1989, it was generally vie ...
counterpart of
Jägermeister
( , ) is a German digestif made with 56 herbs and spices. Developed in 1934 by Wilhelm and Curt Mast, it has an alcohol by volume of 35% ( 61 degrees proof, or US 70 proof). The recipe has not changed since its creation, and the drink contin ...
.
[WAS IST … eigentlich WurzelPeter]
in ''Berliner Kurier'', 7 April 2010, accessed 20 Jun 2018 With limited production, it had a reputation in the GDR as ''Bückware'', scarce goods available 'under the counter' through bartering or to favoured customers.
VEB Bärensiegel Berlin became Berliner Bärensiegel
GmbH
(; ) is a type of Juridical person, legal entity in German-speaking countries. It is equivalent to a (Sàrl) in the Romandy, French-speaking region of Switzerland and to a (Sagl) in the Ticino, Italian-speaking region of Switzerland.
It is a ...
after the fall of the
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall (, ) was a guarded concrete Separation barrier, barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and the East Germany, German Democratic Republic (GDR; East Germany). Construction of the B ...
. In 1990 the company was acquired by
Franz Wilhelm Langguth Erben
Franz Wilhelm Langguth Erben GmbH & Co. KG was a German winery headquartered in Traben-Trarbach. With annual production of about 50 million bottles and sales of about €108 million, Langguth was among the largest wine producers in the country.
...
, a winery with its headquarters in
Traben-Trarbach
Traben-Trarbach () on the Middle Moselle is a town in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the like-named ''Verbandsgemeinde'' and a state-recognized climatic spa (''Luftkurort''). The city is loc ...
, a municipality in the district
Bernkastel-Wittlich
Bernkastel-Wittlich (German language, German: ''Landkreis Bernkastel-Wittlich'') is a district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Vulkaneifel, Cochem-Zell, Rhein-Hunsrück, Birkenfeld ...
. Berliner Bärensiegel GmbH continued to produce and bottle the herbal liqueur in
Berlin-Lichtenberg
Lichtenberg () is a quarter (''Ortsteil'') of Berlin in the homonymous borough (''Bezirk'') of Lichtenberg. Until 2001 it was an autonomous district with the localities of Fennpfuhl, Rummelsburg, Friedrichsfelde and Karlshorst.
History
The ...
. Despite international competition, former East Germans stayed loyal to the brand.
[Hochprozentige Ostalgie]
''Lebensmittel Praxis'', 12 Mar 2010
In 2017 Wurzelpeter's recipe was altered to a formulation said to be closer to that of 1935, along with an increase in strength from 30% to 40%
ABV
Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as alc/vol or ABV) is a common measure of the amount of alcohol contained in a given alcoholic beverage. It is defined as the volume the ethanol in the liquid would take if separated from the rest of the solution, ...
and a repositioning of the brand to emphasise its Berlin heritage.
[Zuruck zu den Wurzeln]
''fizz.de'', 1 May 2017 The labelling continues to emphasise the character, described as a
kobold
A kobold (; ''kobolt'', ''kobolde'', cobold) is a general or generic name for the household spirit (''hausgeist'') in German folklore.
It may invisibly make noises (i.e., be a poltergeist), or helpfully perform kitchen chores or stable work. ...
, traditionally featured in the brand's advertising.
[
]
References
External links
* {{Official website, http://www.wurzelpeterworld.com/
German liqueurs
Ostalgie