An In-Flight Drink Gone Nearly Extinct: The 'Lufthansa Cocktail'

November 30, 2012 at 7:29 PM | by JetSetCD | Comments (0)

It's been far too long since we last named an "in-flight cocktail of the month," but there's a good reason for that. You see, airlines just don't offer all the libations they once did, and a prime example of this is the classic Lufthansa Cocktail.

Though the Orange-Apricot liquor of 12 ingredients was once served to passengers onboard Lufthansa flights decades ago (sometimes even in cute mini bottles), the Lufthansa Cocktail is now so extremely rare that it can only be had in two ways:

· Purchase at the Ringeltaube. "Ringeltaube" is the name of the Lufthansa Crew-Only stores found at a few German airports, but the largest is just outside Terminal 1 in Frankfurt. One cannot simply stop in and grab a bottle; to purchase anything, a Lufthansa ID card is necessary. We asked really nicely during our recent LH-led tour of the new A-Plus Concourse, and now treasure every sip of special bottle for which we paid 12 Euro.

· Purchase online, for delivery within Germany online. The liquor website marks up the bottle a little more than the Ringeltaube, but if you're in Germany long enough to receive a package, it could very well be worth it.

Notice something? Perhaps that it's not offered in the air? If you're lucky enough to get your hands on a bottle, on the ground, note that it's not only super tasty (says this person who doesn't like orange-flavored things), but can be served several ways: up, on the rocks, or added as a splash with a glass of sparkling wine.

For a little more fun, check out the vintage ads for the cocktail, over on Flickr.

[Photos: Cynthia Drescher/Jaunted]

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