Essential Liquor #29

29) Jägermeister - While not on the original idea list for the 30 Essentials that I drew up last spring, I had to add it given the strength of demand for Jägerbombs in today's bars. A real bar simply cannot have a party with energy drink mixers and not have Jäger on hand to complement. Besides, Jägermeister is a flexible ingredient, adding a light spicy touch to three liquor blends and pleasant anise backing to iced-down shots. Those interested in developing a taste for the anise-dominant liqueurs of Europe but do not yet enjoy black licorice would do best to start their herbal taste immersions with Jäger.

Since we missed November (sorry 'bout that!), I thought that a drink that could be pulled out for Thanksgiving or Christmas would be in order. Therefore, we decided to go with Jäger's own recipe, the Grizzly Bear, a spicy sweet after-dinner drink that is lighter than a Blonde Russian or Quaalude, but still in the same family. We'll give you two preparations.

Grizzly Bear
1 part Jägermeister
1 part Disaronno
1 part coffee liqueur
2 1/2 parts milk

Shake the first three ingredients and pour into a Collins glass packed with ice. Add cold milk. Stir.

For Thanksgiving - Top with ground anise and all-spice. Drink an hour or two after your turkey. Prepare for involuntary hibernation (in fattened grizzly fashion, of course!).

For Christmas - Replace the milk with half and half or cream. Top with freshly ground nutmeg. Santa wants this instead of milk this Christmas Eve...