Ingredients
Woodruff
- a small bunch of woodruff, about 10 g, picked before flowering
Wine
- 2 bottlesdry white wine, such as Riesling or Silvaner
- 1 bottlesparkling wine, well chilled
To sweeten
- 3 tbspcaster sugar, or to taste
To garnish
- strawberries, halved
- a few sprigs of woodruff, for the bowl
Equipment
- a large punch bowl
- a piece of muslin or a tea infuser
Directions
- Pick woodruff before it flowers, since the coumarin content rises once it does. Use a small quantity: about three grams of fresh woodruff per litre of wine. Never leave the herb in the finished punch for hours.
- Tie the bunch and hang it somewhere airy for a day. It should smell strongly of new-mown hay when it is ready. Trim off the cut stem ends before steeping. Discard any flowers that have opened. Now the steeping, which must be brief.
- Wrap the wilted woodruff loosely in muslin, or use a tea infuser. Pour one bottle of the white wine into a jug. Steep it for twenty to thirty minutes only.
- Taste it after twenty minutes. It should taste clearly of hay and vanilla but not bitter. Remove the bundle and squeeze it gently, then discard it. Pour the infused wine into a large bowl.
- Add the second bottle of white wine. Stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Taste it and adjust the sweetness. Refrigerate the bowl for at least two hours.
- Add the halved strawberries to the bowl. Pour in the chilled sparkling wine. Pour it slowly down the side to keep the bubbles.
- Stir it once, gently, with a ladle. Do not leave them there for the whole evening. Ladle it into glasses with a piece of strawberry in each. Serve it immediately, while it is cold and still fizzing. It is drunk outdoors, on the first warm evenings of the year.
Technique
- Woodruff contains coumarin, which can cause headaches and liver damage in quantity; German law limits it in food.
- Pick before flowering, use about three grams per litre, and steep for twenty to thirty minutes only.
- Wilt it for a day first, since fresh woodruff has almost no aroma.
Substitutions
- Dried woodruff, sold in German shops, if you cannot pick it safely.
- Woodruff syrup, which is sold commercially and is much easier to dose.
Variations
- Made non-alcoholic with apple juice and sparkling water.
- With a splash of brandy added, which some recipes include.
- With other soft fruit in place of strawberries.
History
Drunk around May Day; the woodruff must be picked before flowering, as its coumarin rises afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
What is Maibowle?
Maibowle is a cocktail from Germany: white wine punch infused with woodruff and lifted with sparkling wine. Drunk around May Day; the woodruff must be picked before flowering, as its coumarin rises afterwards.
How long does Maibowle take to make?
Maibowle takes 20 min plus 1 day wilting of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes 10 glasses. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Maibowle?
Yes, within limits. Dried woodruff, sold in German shops, if you cannot pick it safely. Woodruff syrup, which is sold commercially and is much easier to dose.
What is the most important thing to get right in Maibowle?
Pick woodruff before it flowers, since the coumarin content rises once it does. Use a small quantity: about three grams of fresh woodruff per litre of wine. Never leave the herb in the finished punch for hours.
