It's a German thing.

Well, not only German - the Austrians have it as well, but it's not that common in most other countries. Even though it's so nice...


What I am talking about? The Schorle. In case you never heard about it, a Schorle is a mixed drink consisting of about half (carbonated) water and half something else - the most typical non-alcoholic Schorle would be the Apfelschorle (water and apple juice), but there's lots of other juices used for Schorle as well. You can also get Schorle in the alcoholic version, with either red or white wine mixed with water.

During NESAT in Esslingen, I was a little surprised that a lot of the non-Germans and non-Austrians didn't really know the concept. One Swede actually professed getting addicted to this Schorle stuff - and I can understand that: it's really neat. You get a large drink that has some sparkle and a lot of taste, but is not as sweet-and-sticky as pure juice would be. And Apfelschorle, mixed with three quarters water and one quarter juice, is about isotonic as well (says the German wikipedia, which, in contrast to the English wikipedia, has a lot to say about the topic).

When I was younger, there was a different Schorle version quite usual as well: Applejuice mixed half-and-half with lemonade (the sweet clear carbonated "lemon"-flavored kind), the so-called "Apfelschorle süß" (süß means sweet) in contrast to the "Apfelschorle sauer" (sour, you probably guessed it). It seems, however, that everybody ordered the sour kind mixed with water, since the sweet version has about disappeared from menus everywhere now. A while ago, we found a menu where the sweet kind was still printed, and everyone on the table sort of went "Wow, they still have that??"

So... in case you are looking for a nice summer drink that's healthier than pure juice or soft drinks, but still has taste - and does quench thirst very nicely - you might want to try this Schorle stuff. I've been having it all my life, and if I'm not in need of a caffeine jolt, it's still my staple order in a restaurant or pub. And I think it's an idea worth spreading.