Schorle is a very refreshing and extremely popular beverage in Germany. The distinct characteristic of Schorle is that it is a mixture of usually two drinks whereas one ingredient is always carbonated water. In some cases fizzy lemonade serves for adding the sparkling touch. The main versions of this drink are blends of sparkling water with fruit juice or white wine. Another common mix would be white wine with fizzy lemonade.
The popular “Saftschorle” with juice can be found in every restaurant in Germany. The fizzy mix comes in many variations since basically any kind of juice can be used. The most popular one is definitely “Apfelschorle” with apple juice but also other juices such as cherry juice, passion fruit juice or rhubarb juice are very common. The mineral water dilutes their strong taste, makes them highly refreshing and also more easily digestible.
There is no fixed mixing ratio as the amount of water can vary according to taste and the type mixer. While it is common to do only one third to one half of water for wine schorle, the share can go up to two thirds for the juice version.
Although it is incredibly easy to make this drink yourself, you can also buy it bottled in every supermarket or little kiosk. Even big global players have jumped on the bandwagon like The Coca-Cola Company with “Lift”, their own brand of Apfelschorle.
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What Does “Schorle” Mean?
According to the German Duden dictionary, the word stems from “Schorlemorle”. The expression is a denomination that was first used as “Schurlemurle” in Lower Bavaria in the 18th century for a mixed drink made of wine and mineral water. The actual origin of this word however is unclear. It might simply be a playful linguistic creation, similar to the ones invented for beer in the 16th century (e.g. Scormorrium or Murlepuff). According to German linguist Friedrich Kluge, however, Schorlemorle is based on the southwest German dialect word “schuren” which means “to bubble”. Also the older Low German “Schurrmurr” (“mish-mash”) might be related to it.
Find more food and drinks from Germany here.
Go to other interesting issues on Germany: Events, Traditional Costumes
Images:
Essen & Weinschorle by www.sommer-in-hamburg.de, licensed under CC BY 2.0
