My journey here starts with the above-pictured Underberg, a favored digestive aid since 1846, sprung from this same medicinal tradition. It's also part of the larger general family known as Kräuterlikör, a class of after-dinner drinks which, thanks to the work of herbalists like Hildegard of Bingen, allows you to quaff deep drafts of what’s essentially condensed forest juice, locally sourced from some of Europe’s most interesting old-growth woods. You can also settle for blindly downing too many shots of Jagermeister (the most famous, if not greatest, contemporary Kräuterlikör) and giving yourself a massive sugar-induced hangover the next day.
At some point recently (likely while sipping a digestif) I realized that these murky, viscous brews are actually just medicine, or at least sprung from the same fundamental tradition stretching from salutatory medieval herb concoctions to modern cough syrup. Both ends of this historical continuum seek to treat bodily ills through bracing infusions of boozy goo; one is natural, packed with plants and herbs, while the other has departed from the proud historical practice of healing-through-inebriation by embracing chemical compounds aimed exclusively at treating specific ailments. Yet just as these antique brews were/are often used for things other than strict healing, these modern-day equivalents can still be easily tipped over into the realm of pure intoxication.
My journey here starts with the above-pictured Underberg, a favored digestive aid since 1846, sprung from this same medicinal tradition. It's also part of the larger general family known as Kräuterlikör, a class of after-dinner drinks which, thanks to the work of herbalists like Hildegard of Bingen, allows you to quaff deep drafts of what’s essentially condensed forest juice, locally sourced from some of Europe’s most interesting old-growth woods. You can also settle for blindly downing too many shots of Jagermeister (the most famous, if not greatest, contemporary Kräuterlikör) and giving yourself a massive sugar-induced hangover the next day.
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The coded language of snacks, sandwiches and seasonings, in NYC and beyond.
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