The usual in an interview: About the melon schnapps

Christoph Jaschinski and Felix Michl not only both have a doctorate and come from Heidelberg. They also have something completely different in common: a love of melon schnapps. But because it's hard to buy outside of Heidelberg, the two of them thought: why not just make it themselves and show the world how damn good alcoholized melon can taste?

Here you can get the melon schnapps from Das Übliche

There is the well-known trick of drilling into a watermelon and inserting an open bottle of vodka until the melon has soaked up all the vodka. Is that how your melon schnapps is made? Tell us about it!

Of course we've tried something like this before, but our schnapps came about in a completely different way: we all come from Heidelberg or studied there. And anyone who wanders through Heidelberg's old town in the evening as a student will sooner or (usually) later be confronted with melon schnapps. Nobody can really explain where this actually comes from, but it is definitely a Heidelberg thing that is largely unknown in the rest of Germany. We wanted to change that and therefore created "Das Übliche".

There are quite a few spirits and liqueurs with melon on the market. Who is your competition and is it more from Germany or abroad?

There is a bit of local competition. But clear melon schnapps is actually quite a unique selling point, which is why we now have a large customer base and enthusiastic fans throughout Germany.

Melon schnapps is widely available in Heidelberg.

What is so special about your melon schnapps?

We tinkered with the recipe for a long time and it paid off - it simply tastes the best. :-)

Who is your target group?

Anyone who likes to party and is looking for a delicious shot.

How do you make your melon schnapps?

We have been working with the same medium-sized distiller for years, who developed "Das Übliche" according to our ideas and still produces it.

Are there any melon liqueur recipes that you can make at home? Apart from the watermelon method.

Scoop out balls from a watermelon with an ice cream scoop and freeze them. Then put them in a glass together with some "the usual". Finish with ginger or chilli syrup and tonic and your sparkling summer drink is ready.

What's the best way to drink your melon schnapps?

Ice-cold and not on its own!