This cocktail is polarizing. It’s one of those “love-it” or “hate-it” things. And don’t think you only have to drink it during Oktoberfest — it’s just that people are far more affectionate toward pickled cabbage during this time of year. This tart and briny cocktail is only good when it’s ice cold, so get your Bond on and shake it with lots of ice until your hands get cold and your arms are tired.

Ingredients:

3 ounces strained sauerkraut liquid
1  1/2 ounces of your favorite vodka
ice

Directions:

In a cocktail shaker, combine the sauerkraut liquid, vodka, and ice. Shake vigorously for at least 1 minute. Pour over more ice and enjoy immediately.

Phyllo pastry is very similar to German Strudel pastry and can be used in the same ways. These savory snacks can be prepared ahead and baked just before serving so they are warm and crisp.

Ingredients:

4 large sheets phyllo dough (10 x 12 inches)
2 3/4 ounces butter, melted
2 Bratwurst or Bockwurst sausages, grilled and chopped
10 oz Sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
2 3/4 ounces Bavarian smoked cheese, cut in small cubes

Cooking:

1. Cut the phyllo sheets lengthwise into three. Keep them covered under a sheet of cling film as you work so they won’t dry out.
2. Lay a strip along a board. Brush lightly with melted butter. Put a heaped teaspoon of Sauerkraut at one corner end. Press some chopped sausage on top, then 3 to 4 cheese cubes.
3. Fold over the filling wrapped in the phyllo on the diagonal, so it is completely enclosed in a triangle. Then flip over again, on the diagonal, and again and again until you get to the end of the phyllo strip and have a neat triangular turnover.
4. Place on a flat baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining ingredients until you have 12 turnovers. Brush the tops and sides with the remaining butter.
5. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Serve warm.

Ingredients:

700 g potatoes
400 g sauerkraut
8 ham slices
2 cups grated cheese
1 1/2 cup milk
4 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
nutmeg, pepper, salt

Directions:

1. Peel, wash and cut potatoes in 4. Boil in salted water until tender.

2. Drain the sauerkraut.

3. Melt a tiny bit of butter on a hot frying pan and add sauerkraut. Season with black pepper and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Top the ham slices with sauerkraut and roll them up.

5. Drain the boiled potatoes, steam-dry them and transfer to an oven dish.

6. Grate the cheese.

7. Heat the butter, add flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add milk and bring it to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add the grated cheese and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Divide half the sauce over the potatoes, top with ham rolls and pour the other half of the sauce on top of the rolls.
Bake at 400 F (200 C) for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 bottle of bock style beer
• 450 g fresh bratwurst
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 cups sauerkraut, drained
• 1/4 cup frozen sweet peas (optional)
• salt and pepper

Method:

1. Heat a deep skillet over medium high heat.
2. Add the onions, beer, and bratwurst. Simmer, turning sausages occasionally, until beer is reduced to a syrupy constancy and onions are caramelized-about 10 minutes.
3. Remove sausages and add beef broth to the pan, scraping the bottom until mixture is fully incorporated.
4. Add sausages back to the pan and simmer until fully cooked, about 10 minutes more.
5. Remove sausages and bring broth to a full boil until reduced to syrupy constancy, watch that it doesn’t reduce too much and burn off.
6. Lower heat to medium low and melt the butter, scraping up the caramelized bits in the pan.
7. Add sausages back to the pan.  Place sauerkraut around sausages and cook until heated and somewhat crisp.  Turn sausages and stir often to mix sauerkraut with caramelized onions so it doesn’t burn.
8. Add the frozen peas, if using, and stir them into the sauerkraut to heat them.
9. Season with salt and pepper to taste-depending on the flavors of your sauerkraut and sausages you may not need extra seasoning.

Ingredients:

500 g potatoes
2 onions
40 g butter
1 can Sauerkraut
3/4 l broth (instant)
1 bay leave
8 Thuringia Rostbratwuerstchen or normal Bratwurst or Knackwurst
100 ml heavy cream
1 tbsp mustard
salt, pepper, caraway seeds
1-2 tsp sugar
1 bunch chives

Cooking:

1. Peel the potatoes, cut them into cubes.
2. Peel and cut the onions into small pieces.
3. Heat the butter, saute potatoes and onions for about 10 minutes.
4. Get  the Sauerkraut out of the pan and loose it up, put it into the pan together with the broth; let it boil on low-medium heat for 10 minutes.
5. Fry the Sausages in an extra pan in hot butter oil, take them out of the pan and cut them into slanted slices, put them back into the pan and fry them a bit more.
6. Mix the cream with the mustard and add to the stew: spice with salt, pepper, caraway seeds.
7. Add the sausages, cut chives and sprinkle over the stew.