Kaufhaus Hessen, Frankfurt

What to buy here: Frankfurt apple wine.

Some people claim the city of Frankfurt is the heart of the apple wine culture while others say the center is where you are sitting when sampling this regional favorite. Apple wine is fermented without sugar and its alcoholic content at 5.5 per cent is about half that found in wine made from grapes. Apple wine normally is served in a stoneware pitcher with a separate bottle of mineral water. The consumer mixes his or her drink. The combination is a refreshing, low-cal treat with a punch. Big commercial brands like the Possman varieties are found anywhere alcoholic beverages are sold, including the supermarket in the basement of Karstadt department store at 90 Zeil. The Zeil is a pedestrian zone that is the city’s central shopping district.

Kaufhaus Hessen away from city center in trendy Bornheim at 288 Berger Strasse, 60385 Frankfurt, offers a connoisseur’s selection. Store hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and until 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Closed Sundays and Mondays. Possmann Original costs about €1.60 ($2.20) for a 1 liter bottle. Specialty brands cost more, but this is not an expensive gift.