🥃 Jägertee
Jägertee is an Austrian liqueur with an EU-protected name: ethyl alcohol with black tea, mandatory Inländerrum rum and orange and lemon extracts. At least 22.5% ABV in the bottle, sugar from 100 g/l, usually diluted with hot water.
Jägertee, meaning “hunters' tea”, is the name of a hot winter drink from Austria, though legally it is a liqueur: ethyl alcohol with black tea, Inländerrum rum and orange and lemon extracts. Written Jägertee, Jagertee or Jagatee, it is a protected name in the European Union. The strength in the bottle is at least 22.5% ABV and the sugar content at least 100 g per litre. Most often it is diluted with hot water.
Protected name. The name appeared in Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 among the liqueurs and has been protected since 13 February 2008; today Regulation (EU) 2019/787 applies. Jägertee may be made in all Austrian federal states, and the technical requirements are set out in Chapter B 23 of the Austrian Food Code. German producers have since called a similar drink Hüttentee.
Ingredients. Black tea or tea extract, Inländerrum and citrus extracts are mandatory. Cinnamon and cloves only round off the flavour, so the aroma should not resemble mulled wine. Fruit distillates, Jamaican rum, arrack, juices and essential oils may be added, but wine and fruit wine are prohibited. The label of a concentrate states how to dilute it.
History. According to the Code, the name derives from the hunters' drink (Jagdtrank), mentioned in 1864 in a newspaper advertisement by the Austrian liqueur maker Zur Gailthalerin. Jägertee warmed hunters and skiers and became common in mountain huts and at winter markets. By alcohol volume it accounts for more than a third of Austrian spirits output, and most of it is exported.
Why it matters to you. A hot cup of Jägertee served in a mountain hut may have only 7.5% ABV, but the concentrate in the bottle is stronger, and the alcohol from the tea does not disappear. The warmth from alcohol is misleading: in the cold it speeds up heat loss. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| EU category | liqueur (category 33 of Regulation (EU) 2019/787; category 32 in Regulation 110/2008); protected name PGI-AT-0197 |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Regulation (EU) 2019/787; Austrian Food Code, Chapter B 23, section 7.3 |
| Raw material | ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, black tea or tea extract, Inländerrum, orange and lemon extracts, sugar |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 22.5% vol. in the bottle; hot drink in establishments from 7.5% vol.; sugar from 100 g/l |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Jägertee → kind of → 🍸 Liqueurs → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🥃 Stroh
- Made from
- 🥃 Inländerrum, 🥃 Rum
- What it contains
- Black tea
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🍸 Liqueurs
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Hüttentee, 🍷 Mulled wine, 🥃 Stroh Jagertee
Frequently asked questions
What is Jägertee made of?
It is a liqueur on ethyl alcohol with at least 100 g/l of sugar. Black tea or tea extract, Inländerrum and orange and lemon extracts are mandatory; cinnamon and cloves only round off the flavour.
What ABV is Jägertee?
At least 22.5% ABV in the bottle. A hot drink served in an establishment may be diluted, but not below 7.5% ABV.
Is Jägertee the same as mulled wine?
No. It is also a hot winter drink, but wine and fruit wine are prohibited in Jägertee, and cinnamon and cloves must not dominate the aroma.
Can Jägertee be made outside Austria?
No. Jägertee, Jagertee and Jagatee is a protected Austrian name; the similar German drink has been called Hüttentee since 2008.
Where does the name Jägertee come from?
From the hunters' drink (Jagdtrank), mentioned in 1864 in an advertisement by the Austrian liqueur maker Zur Gailthalerin; hunters warmed themselves with it after the hunt.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🥃 Rum — A distillate of sugar-cane molasses, syrup or juice: in the EU at least 37.5% ABV, no flavourings or added alcohol, up to 20 g/l of sugar; in the US bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof) or more.
- 🥃 Stroh — Austrian spirits brand since 1832 (Carinthia, now Klagenfurt); best known for Stroh Original Inländer Rum, or Stroh 80, at 80% ABV.
- 🥃 Stroh Jagertee — Stroh hot drink concentrate with Inländer Rum, black tea extracts and essences; 40% ABV (80 proof). Diluted with hot water, it is Austria's ski-hut classic.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
Similar
🥃 Swedish punch (Svensk Punsch) · 🥃 Genepì della Valle d'Aosta · 🥃 Cantueso Alicantino · 🥃 Chiemseer Klosterlikör · 🥃 Aperitivo Café de Alcoy · 🥃 Genepì del Piemonte
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Österreichisches Lebensmittelbuch (BMSGPK), Kapitel B 23 Spirituosen, Abschnitt 7.3 Jägertee/Jagertee/Jagatee (PGI-AT-0197): liqueur, min. 22.5 % vol, sugar min. 100 g/l; black tea and/or tea extract, Inländerrum and extracts of at least orange and lemon obligatory; cinnamon and cloves only as rounding; no wine or fruit wine; usually topped with hot water, served hot from 7.5 % vol; all of Austria; 'Jagdtrank' advertised 1864 by 'Zur Gailthalerin'; over a third of Austrian spirits output by alcohol, mostly sold abroad
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex III as at 31.01.2020 (legislation.gov.uk): 32. Liqueur — Jägertee/Jagertee/Jagatee (Austria)
- GOV.UK protected food and drink names: Jägertee/Jagertee/Jagatee — registered GI, Austria, 32. Liqueur, first registered in the EU on 13.02.2008
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks, Annex I: cat. 33 liqueur (min. 15 %, sugar from 100 g/l); Annex III — geographical indications
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)