“Turn left at the main road, then cross over, and take the next right… you can’t miss it“. With those instructions from the Hotel Manager, my daughter and I headed out from our hotel in Sachsenhausen (Frankfurt) to find a Bembel of Apfelwein. It really wasn’t that hard. In fact, Sachsenhausen is KNOWN for it’s many Apfelwein restaurants, and we passed three before we landed at the first one he recommended, the Dauth Schneider. Now, despite the server telling us we couldn’t possibly finish a Bembel ourselves… and that we should mix it with the Limonade he brought (the horror!), both of us really enjoyed the flavor. And thanks to the delicious hearty meal that we ate with it, the effects weren’t as strong as he feared. In fact, we took a nice walk afterwards, and even considered stopping for more at another of the many Apple Wine places along the way.
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What is Apfelwein? or Apple Wine?
What is Apple Wine? (Here is where we get very specific) Apple wine or Apfelwein is closely related to Apple Cider… but there is a difference. Yes, both are made from pressed apples, and both are alcoholic. The difference comes in the process. While the Apple Wine is fermenting, the Carbonic Acid is allowed to escape, while it is captured in the cider making process. So, the Apple Cider comes out bubbly… and Apple wine is more smooth. Also, Apple Cider tends to be sweeter. Apple wine is made without added sugar or yeast, instead apple wine makers use old fashioned apple varieties that aren’t grown to be eaten, giving the Apfelwein more tannic acids. This means it’s more tart or sour, and the tannins can bite your tongue a bit. Still, because of this, it’s quite refreshing, and considered a nice light alternative to beer.
As someone who doesn’t really care for very sweet drinks, I far prefer Apfelwein to Apple Cider. It’s funny how everyone tells me it’s an acquired taste. Nope… Liver is an acquired taste, Licorice is an acquired taste… Ebbelwei (Apfelwein in the local dialect) is quite delicious.
Or perhaps I just acquired it immediately….
Best Place to Drink Apple Wine
The Sachsenhausen neighborhood is “Dribb de Bach” (over the stream) or Over the River from downtown Frankfurt. (The area around Frankfurt is perfect for growing apples). After a few drinks, it’s a nice walk along the water or over the bridge to the “old town” of Frankfurt. The main thoroughfares are busy, but the side streets are more pedestrian than cars, and you will find lots of places that serve Eppelwei. I love that in the summertime there are plenty of tables outside. We got there a little early, but as we sat, all the tables outside began to fill up!
What are the BEST places to drink Apfelwein? We really enjoyed the food, wine and gemütlichkeit at Dauth Schneider at Neuer Wall 5 to be perfect for us.
HOWEVER, there were at least a dozen places nearby… and even right next door!
Struwwelpeter was at Neuer Wall 3
Drinking Apfelwein
Apfelwein is traditionally drunk from a geripptes glass. A 10 oz (.3L) glass that has diamond cuts on it. (This helps you grip it after a few… and refracts the light beautifully). If you can convince your waiter you aren’t a lightweight (or you come in with more people, it will be served in a Bembel. A Jug made from salt-glazed stoneware. It’s traditionally grey with blue decoration and a nice handle for easy pouring.
Wine jug jug 2 l Bembel stoneware Westerwald ceramic salt glaze vintage
Vintage jug wine jug 2 l Bembel stoneware Westerwald ceramicsMarzi & Remi stein, vintage bembel, wine jug, earthenware, vintage jug, water jugVintage jug, wine jug, cider jug by Scheurich, German Bembel, traditional, bottom mark 418-18
Vintage jug wine jug 3 l Bembel stoneware Westerwald ceramics
Next time you are in Frankfurt, cross the bridge to Sachsenhausen and try the Apfelwein… Don’t forget to try a local Frankfurt specialty like Grüne Soße (green sauce) or maybe you will be brave and have the Handkäse mit Musik (Stinky cheese with onions) too!
And don’t let the Waiter talk you into Limonade…..
I was born in Frankfurt and lived in the Sachsenhausen area. Your blog brought back memories of go out with my parents and their friends.
I’m glad!
Hi Karen Anne,
I lived in Frankfurt 3 years and have been back home since last year. I miss so much various German products. I was wondering if you know of any websites where I can order and have shipped to the U.S. Apfelwine, Feigen Senfsauce, Maultaschen, Bärlauchbutter, knödel, Spätzle.
Thank you!
P.s. I cant wait to have an opportunity to move back!
German Shop 24 sells Knödel and Spätzle… as well as a LOAD of other German products–> https://bit.ly/3o3FbUE
Amazon has FeigenSenf–> https://amzn.to/31kOPbD
And Drizly shows Applewine–> drizly.sjv.io/YORoq
The butter and the Maultaschen you might have to make for yourself
Stationed in the area from 72 thru 75. Wife & I went many times to Sachsenhausen. Applewine was great but DON’T forget the Ribchen . Super yummy!
I had no idea there was such a thing as German Sparkling Apple Wine! I’m definitely intrigued by the idea of trying some. I love trying new drinks and this sounds like a unique and delicious option. Thank you for sharing!
I had no idea that Apfelwein had such a rich history and unique production process! I’m definitely intrigued to try it now, especially after learning about the different styles and flavors. Thanks for sharing this insight into German culture!
I had been in Hesse for the better part of a month, on returning to the US and getting settled in I spent a couple of weeks making flammkuchen in my home oven. In Germany I had been struggling to find the right regional grape wines to pair with a lot of traditional convenience foods I’d been eating there with similar flavor profiles, the excellent hams and cheeses.
So the first thing I did was infuse some peaches into the traditional standard in the American south, sweet tea, and that’s fantastic with flammkuchen and ready in a few hours. But I got onto the internet then with the wine question, expecting to find a pat answer for German cuisine in some Gruener Veltliner or Moselle or something similar like a Chardonnay, things to eat with ham.
But instead I found recipes for making apfelwein at home. And it is very cheap and easy to do, as easy as making pickles. So I bought large pickle fermenting jars with airlocks and started a batch, along with a batch of ginger beer which is done in two weeks much sooner.
I tasted the batch last week and was unhappy with the result at that point, only two and a half weeks in but with the yeast mostly dropped, so I topped the batch off with another half gallon of apple juice and restarted fermentation, and transferred the combined liquid to a secondary fermenter jar, removing all of the solids that had combined at the bottom.
I read that transfers in wine are a part of the fining process, removing the solids and gently exposing the whole batch to oxygen briefly in order to reactivate the yeasts still suspended in the clarified liquid.
Now six days later, because I had some swing top bottles arrive in the mail, and because the liquid is clear now, I decided to do a second transfer and bottle the apfelwein, take a risk at only 3 weeks, and hope for an early result.
It’s very good today, especially as something I thought I might need to experiment with in further batches to crate something this good, it’s more than acceptable, it’s better than expected, it actually has some of the nuances of a good table wine from grapes, I had a small bit left over and it’s satisfying.
And it’s made from the cheapest apple juice available without any additives or preservatives. Leaving aside what I spent on the fermenters and the bottles, it’s a gallon and a half of apple juice and $0.50 of champagne yeast, $8 total.
A nice bonus is that I’m now set up for pickling and small batches of grape wines, other fruit wines, and this ginger ale and ginger beer is very good as well.