Magazine advertisements for the Lufthansa Cocktail from 1963–1967.
The pre-mixed cocktail, produced by the Berlin liqueur manufacturer Carl Mampe AG in a glass bottle shaped like a cocktail shaker, was served at the seat on every first class flight from the start of Lufthansa’s scheduled flights in April 1955.
Its ingredients, which gave it a distinctive flavour of apricot and orange with a hint of almond and a slightly bitter finish, remain largely secret to this day. The cocktail was served neat, with or without ice, or with sparkling wine.
Due to popular demand, the drink was successfully marketed in the early 1960s. The original version became the Lufthansa Cocktail Party »for the festive mood« and was joined by »the classic pre-dinner cocktail« Lufthansa Cocktail Bitter and »the refreshing long drink« Lufthansa Cocktail Dry Martini.
The glamour of the Lufthansa cocktail faded when flying lost its exclusivity in the early 1970s and production was discontinued. It made a brief comeback in 2005 as a newly licensed drink to mark Lufthansa’s 50th anniversary, including being served on board again, but production was soon discontinued once and for all.
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