Apfelwein

Hessian·Hard·1 hour 30 min active + 41 days 22 hours 30 min resting

Frankfurt apple cider wine — fermented apple juice (8-10 traditional tart cooking-and-cider apple varieties, often with a little Speierling (sorb/service-tree fruit) added for tannin) brewed dry and slightly sour with 5-7% alcohol, served from a Bembel (gray-and-blue ceramic jug) in a Schoppen (ribbed glass) at every Frankfurt Apfelwein bar — Hessian regional beverage with PGI protection.

Apfelwein ('apple wine' — never call it cider in Frankfurt, that's an insult; 'Cider' is the sweet UK-French version, Apfelwein is the dry German version) is the iconic Hessian regional beverage — protected by EU PGI since 2010 for 'Hessischer Apfelwein.' Frankfurt has dedicated Apfelwein bars (Ebbelwoi-Lokal) in the Sachsenhausen district where the beverage has been brewed and served since at least the 16th century. Apfelwein is fermented from a mix of specific cooking-and-cider apple varieties (Boskop, Goldparmäne, Brettacher, Bittenfelder, Roter Trierer) — eating apples like Gala or Granny Smith would produce a sweeter inferior product. The fermentation runs dry (almost all sugars converted to alcohol), giving Apfelwein its characteristic tart, slightly funky character — closer in style to Belgian lambic than to commercial American cider. Drunk from the Bembel jug into the Schoppen (ribbed glass that holds 0.3L), often mixed with mineral water as 'Sauergespritzter' (sour spritzer) or with lemonade as 'Süßgespritzter' (sweet spritzer).

A glass of authentic Frankfurt Apfelwein in a Schoppen looks deceptively simple — pale-amber color, slight cloudiness, a subtle effervescence from the natural fermentation. The first sip surprises: dry-tart (not sweet — the dryness is shocking if you're expecting American cider), with apple-fruit flavor underneath the acidity, mineral notes from the local groundwater, and a slight 'funky' yeast note from the natural fermentation. The alcohol level (5-7%) is comparable to beer. Drink it straight (pur) for the canonical experience, or mix 50:50 with sparkling water (Sauergespritzter) if you find the dryness too intense. Eaten alongside Handkäs mit Musik + Grüne Soße + Frankfurter Würstchen, the Apfelwein cuts through every dish's character. Sip slowly over an evening at Sachsenhausen; a single Bembel (1.2L jug) is meant to be shared 4-way.

Apfelwein's dryness depends on the apple variety mix — tart cooking apples (Boskop, Brettacher) have lower sugar content than eating apples, so the resulting alcohol is in the 5-7% range and there's no residual sweetness. Modern eating apples would produce 8-10% alcohol with residual sweetness, more like commercial cider. The slow cool fermentation (15-20°C) over 4-6 weeks allows complex secondary flavors to develop — wild yeast strains contribute esters and phenols that give Apfelwein its 'funky' character. Aging on the lees (yeast sediment) for the first 2-3 weeks contributes mouthfeel and complexity. The PGI protection requires fermentation within Hessen and use of traditional varieties.

Variations

Frankfurt-PGI canonical (Hessischer Apfelwein, dry, with mix of traditional varieties); Bretzfeld-Württemberg variant uses different apple cultivars (sweeter); North German Cider tends sweeter (closer to British cider); commercial Apfelwein widely available (Possmann, Stier, Höhl are reliable Frankfurt brands); 'Speyerling-Apfelwein' is a special Frankfurt variant flavored with pear-and-rowan; modern Frankfurt bars offer artisanal Apfelwein from small producers — these are often dry-hopped or barrel-aged; the dish is naturally vegan; pairs perfectly with Hessian food (Handkäs, Grüne Soße, Frankfurter); the dry, tart character of Apfelwein clashes with most American food unless you treat it as a wine substitute.

On the Palate

Where Apfelwein sits in the German flavor cloud

Ingredients

Serves 12

15kg mixed tart cooking + sweet (Boskop, Brettacher, Bittenfelder, Goldparmäne)Apple

5g champagne or cider yeastYeast

100g if neededSugar

for sanitizationWater

How it's made

11 steps · 1 hour 30 min active + 41 days 22 hours 30 min waiting

1
5 min
Note: Making authentic Apfelwein at home is a 4-6 week fermentation project requiring proper equipment (food-grade fermentation vessel, airlock, hydrometer). The recipe below is a simplified home version; commercial Frankfurt Apfelwein (e.g., Possmann, Stier, Höhl brands) is sold widely in German bottle shops.
2
25 min
Equipment: a 10L food-grade plastic or glass fermentation vessel + airlock + a clean siphon for racking + a hydrometer (for measuring sugar/alcohol). Sanitize ALL equipment thoroughly with food-safe sanitizer.
3
8 min
Get the apples: ideally a mix of 5-6 traditional Apfelwein apple varieties from a Hessian-area orchard (Boskop, Brettacher, Bittenfelder, Goldparmäne) — about 15kg total. If you can't get those varieties, use a mix of: 60% tart cooking apples (Bramley, Granny Smith) + 40% sweet eating apples (Cortland, Northern Spy). Avoid soft modern eating apples (Red Delicious, Gala) — too sweet, not enough acid.
Watch out
Reach for tart cooking apples over sweet eating apples — the low sugar is what makes Apfelwein dry, not sticky-sweet like commercial cider.
4
30 min
Wash and crush the apples: cut into quarters; remove rotten parts but keep cores and skins. Press through a cider press to extract juice; you should get about 8L of fresh apple juice. (Alternative: buy 8L unpasteurized, unsweetened apple juice from a farm shop or health food store — pasteurized juice will work but the result is less complex.)
5
5 min
Test the juice: measure the specific gravity with a hydrometer; should be 1.045-1.055 (this measures the natural sugar content). If too low (<1.040), add 50-100g sugar per liter to reach correct level. The juice's natural pH should be 3.3-3.5 (slightly acidic).
6
5 min
Transfer the apple juice to your sanitized fermentation vessel. Add 5g champagne yeast or natural cider yeast (the unpasteurized juice will also contain wild yeast — both methods work). Stir gently. Fit the airlock with a small amount of water in the trap.
7
14400 min
Primary fermentation: place the vessel in a cool dark spot (15-20°C / 60-68°F is ideal — Frankfurt cellars are this temperature). Within 24 hours, the airlock should start bubbling. Bubbling is most active for 7-10 days, then slows.
Watch out
Within a day the airlock should start bubbling — steady bubbles mean the yeast has taken; no bubbles by 48 hours and the ferment has stalled.
8
5 min
After 2-3 weeks, the fermentation is mostly complete (airlock bubbles less than once per minute). Use the hydrometer to test — gravity should be 0.995-1.000 (most sugar has fermented). The Apfelwein is now technically drinkable but young and harsh.
Watch out
It's done when the airlock bubbles less than once a minute — young Apfelwein tastes harsh here, and that's normal; the aging mellows it.
9
28800 min
Rack the Apfelwein: carefully siphon the clear liquid off the lees (yeast sediment) into a second sanitized vessel. Leave behind the sludge at the bottom. Fit airlock; age 4 more weeks (6 weeks total minimum).
Watch out
Siphon only the clear liquid off the top — leave the yeast sludge behind, or the sediment muddies the flavor and clouds the wine.
10
60 min
Bottle: after 6 weeks total, bottle in sanitized bottles. Keep cool in cellar; the Apfelwein continues to mellow over the next 2-3 months. Best drunk 2-6 months after fermentation start.
11
8 min
Serve: pour from the bottle (or, if you've graduated to a Bembel ceramic jug, from the Bembel) into a Schoppen (ribbed glass) — about 0.3L per glass. The traditional Frankfurt drinking style is straight (pur) or mixed: 50:50 with sparkling water for 'Sauergespritzter' (sour spritzer) or with lemonade for 'Süßgespritzter' (sweet spritzer). Pair with Handkäs mit Musik, Grüne Soße, or Frankfurter Würstchen for the canonical Hessian meal.