German butcher Peter Klassen presenting his meat drinks
German butcher Peter Klassen presenting his meat drinks Harald Tittel

Warning: It may look like a mixed-berry smoothie, or chocolate milkshake. But it’s best to smell what’s in the cup before drinking. A butcher in Temmels, Germany, has invented three chilled “meat drinks’ for people who would like to ditch their coffee or detox shake for a protein-packed substitute.

Peter Klassen, 55, has spent the last three years developing recipes and one million euros of investment in the project. In an interview with the Berlin-based newspaper Die Welt, Klassen explained that his greatest difficulty in getting his meat smoothies on the market hasn’t been a lack of public interest but rather finding a way to “make the meat so smooth that you can’t feel any morsels on your tongue anymore.” Ideally, the drinks’ contents should be “as fine as cocoa.”

A cut of the wellness market.

Meat smoothies aren’t exactly a novel idea. A quick Google search renders millions of webpages and online videos dedicated to the drink. But Klassen is likely the first person to attempt to market the concoction commercially. With the help of his son and a chef, he has been able to liquify his meat, and is ready to sell his first three drinks: “Butcher Beef”, “Beef Bombay”, and “Poulet Royal,” which will be available in Germany, Luxembourg, France, and Belgium.

Although Klassen understands that not everyone will be a fan of his drinks, he is confident that meat smoothies will carve out a place in the health and wellness market. He’s also willing to put his money where his mouth is — or rather, his mouth where his money is. “I prefer eating meat at the table when I have the opportunity. But when I go workout, I drink a glass because it’s not so heavy on the stomach.”