Jagermeister suggests storing its namesake liqueur in the freezer and serving it ice cold. Chilling thickens the liqueur to a syrupy consistency, so it lingers on the palate long enough for its 56 herbs, spices and aromatic compounds to introduce themselves. Cold temperature also softens the harsh notes embedded in Jagermeister's flavor profile. Chilling restricts the mobility of aromatic compounds, so you detect them to a lesser degree than when tasted warm. Depending on whether you are drinking Jagermeister as a digestif or mixed drink, the optimal serving temperature differs. The liqueur maker suggests serving Jagermeister Spice, which contains cinnamon and vanilla, at room temperature.
Digestif
Drink Jagermeister at room temperature when serving it as a digestif. Pour the Jager in a stemmed digestif glass and let it breathe for 1 to 2 minutes before drinking. For a hint of chocolate in your digestif, pour 1 part dark-chocolate liqueur in a digestif glass. Hold an inverted spoon above the chocolate liqueur in the glass, and drizzle 2 parts Jagermeister over it. Place a wide straw cropped short in the glass for drinking; the straw provides a taste of chocolate first and finishes with taste of Jager.
Mixed Drinks
Mixed drinks made with Jagermeister are served over ice. To make a Jager ginger, which spotlights the piquant ginger of the liqueur, fill a tall glass half full of ice. Pour one 1.5-ounce shot of Jager in and top it off with cold ginger beer. Squeeze the juice of 1/8 of a lime over the concoction and garnish it with cucumber slices.
Writer Bio
A.J. Andrews' work has appeared in Food and Wine, Fricote and "BBC Good Food." He lives in Europe where he bakes with wild yeast, milks goats for cheese and prepares for the Court of Master Sommeliers level II exam. Andrews received formal training at Le Cordon Bleu.