Bratwurst are as German as hot dogs are American. Throw ‘em on a grill or in a pot filled with beer. They’re easy to make and easy to eat.

Schneider’s Quality Meats in Waterloo has become a local hot spot to get bratwurst, among many other types of meat.

“We have a truckload of different flavors,” said co-manager Harold Wallace, more commonly known as J.R. “Anything from a regular brat to an Andouille, which is Cajun. We have all types of cheese brats and specialty brats, chicken brats. I’m going to say there are probably more than 40 different flavors.”

There are 43 to be precise.

Schneider’s has been developing and creating different flavors of the German-type sausage for about the past 14 years.

“We love to be known as the ultimate sausage shop,” Schneider’s owner Mark Lengacher said. “Everything we use is fresh and the quality is really high.”

Earlier this year, Schneider’s brought home multiple awards from the Illinois Association of Meat Processors Convention.
The bratwurst flavor variety started when an American pastime came calling.

The Gateway Grizzlies, who play their home games at GCS Ballpark in Sauget, wanted a bratwurst — but not just any bratwurst.

“They wanted a brat that was different and unique. The idea that kind of came up was sauerkraut and bacon,” Wallace said. “We use a raw bacon and cut it up and grind it into (the brat). Then we mix in the sauerkraut. It’s got a great flavor and is really juicy.”

So, baseball helped shape the flavorful brats coming out of the Schneider’s kitchen. But the meat market was making bratwurst well before the Grizzlies came calling.

“To tell you the truth, our bratwurst recipe is brought down from a few generations and has probably been around for a 100 or more years,” Wallace said.

The first brat that was a different flavor was also a staple of the American diet: apple. Following the Grizzlies brat and apple brat, the hits just kept on coming.

“We would talk about it and see if it’s feasible and something that will move,” Wallace said. “We have made brats in the past with certain flavors that won’t sell, so we’d take them out of the rotation.”

Lengacher reiterated that Schneider’s started making many bratwurst flavors when he took over the store.

“We started making two extra flavors and it snowballed from there,” Lengacher said.

And customers from all over the St. Louis area have taken notice.

The most popular may also be more of the common flavors. The most-far-out-there idea was a candy flavored bratwurst.

“We actually made a gummy bear brat,” Wallace said. “It had regular gummy bears. It burnt because there was too much sugar in it, so we just didn’t make it anymore. The biggest sellers besides our regular flavor are apple, bacon and cheddar, jalapeno and cheese.”

What makes a bratwurst different from a sausage isn’t all that much: seasoning and size of the casing. So, they’re like cousins. Schneider’s makes brats from pork and has chicken brats as well.

“Most of it’s pork. Some places, you can get a pork and beef brat,” Wallace said. “They add just a little bit of beef to help dry it out. Brats are extremely fatty. Our brats aren’t that fatty. We use a really good cut to keep flavor into it. But, there are people who make chicken brats and turkey brats.”

Wallace recommends the most simple method to cook a bratwurst.

“The best way is to just throw it on the grill,” he said. “I know some people who cook it about halfway and then put it into a pot with beer and peppers. I know people who just cook them that way. There are several different ways.”
With Waterloo’s extensive German heritage, it only makes sense that one of the most German dishes has found a home at Schneider’s.

“It’s a German item, but it’s eaten by everyone,” Lengacher said. “Who can turn down a good bratwurst?”

A full list of Schneider’s bratwurst flavors can be found at the store.