spritzer

A spritzer is a tall, chilled drink, usually made with white wine and soda water.

Origin

Spritzer is the German term used in Austria, where the drink is very popular. It is used alongside the equally common form Gespritzter (mostly pronounced G'spritzter, a noun derived from the past participle of spritzen), a term also found in some German regions, such as Hessen (e.g. Süssgespritzter, i.e. a "sweet spritzer" using fizzy lemonade (e.g., Sprite) instead of soda water ("Sauergespritzter"). In Hessen, however, "gespritzt" usually refers not to a wine/water or wine/lemonade mix but to a mixture of soda water or lemonade and Apfelwein (in Central Hessian dialect, Ebblwoi), an alcoholic drink from fermented apple juice somewhat similar to (hard) cider but distinctly non-sweet. In most of Germany, the word "Schorle", which derives from French, is used to denote a Spritzer.

In Hungary, a popular drink mixed from white wine and soda water in varying proportions is called fröccs.

In Austria and Germany a "Radler" is a beer combined with lemon soda. For this reason the most common type of beer used in a Radler is Export. In the northern part of Germany, it is called "Alster" or "Alsterwasser", relating to the river Alster.^{[citation needed]}

Wheat beer with lemon soda is common only in the Munich-area and known there as a Ruß (Russian), for legend tells, it was invented in the Munich beer hall "Matthäser", then a meeting place of Russian exilees before the 1917 October Revolution.^{[citation needed]}

People in Germany often mix Wheat beer and Coke with banana or cherry juice.

People in the United States often mix seltzer water with grapefruit juice.

A new form of spritzer has appeared in south west France since 2005, known locally as "Rose Pression" and "Blanc Pression". It is wine based, carbonated and served in draught form on tap from kegs. Its alcoholic strength is thought to vary between 5% and 6% abv.^[1]

Alcoholic spritzer

The word comes from the German spritzen "spatter, squirt, spray, sprinkle", i.e. adding water and thus diluting the wine so that it can be consumed in larger, thirst-quenching amounts without the negative effects of excessive alcohol.

Non-alcoholic Spritzer

In the United States, some non-alcoholic carbonated juices are sold as spritzers. The same type of carbonated juice (actually made with juice and carbonated mineral water) is known in Germany as Saftschorle or Fruchtschorle. (Both short for rarely used Fruchtsaftschorle.) Particularly Apfelschorle (apple juice spritzer) is one of the most popular soft drinks in Germany. In Austria Apfelschorle is called Apfelsaft g'spritzt. ... g'spritzt can be combined with every juice (e.g. Orangensaft g'spritzt or Pago/Cappy g'spritzt (producers of juices).

Sometimes, non-alcoholic spritzers are made by mixing fruit juices (orange juice, cranberry juice, etc.) with carbonated water. Lemonade and iced tea may also be used.

Pop Culture

Comedy writer David MacLean is referred to as David "White Wine Spritzer" MacLean on the Website theredherring.net[1]. He was given the name "White Wine Spritzer" due to his prediliction to consume white wine. He is currently 1 of 3 co-editors in chiefs of the Canadian Comedy Magazine The Red Herring. ^[2]

In the Simpsons episode "Viva Ned Flanders," a white wine spritzer is the first alcoholic beverage that Ned drinks upon arriving in Las Vegas. This presumably led to his and Homer's drunken decision to marry two waitresses.

In Two and a Half Men, Alan requests a Wine Spritzer from his assistant/former-girlfriend Melissa.^[3]

References

1. ^ : CRA Midi-Pyrénées [Bulletin de veille n° 8 - 2e semestre 2005] :
2. ^ The Red Herring's official website
3. ^ Season 6, Episode 14

See also

• alcoholic beverage
• Shandy
• Rose Pression