Gespritzter

Ingredients

Sauer gespritzter

• 125 mldry white wine
• 125 mlsparkling mineral water
• well chilled

Suss gespritzter

• 125 mlwhite wine
• 125 mlclear lemonade
• well chilled

Wines used

• Gruner Veltliner
• or Welschriesling
• or Riesling
• or a light local white

To serve

• a large stemmed glass
• ice, optional
• a slice of lemon, optional

Directions

1. Warm mixer flattens the whole drink.
2. Chill both for at least three hours. Some taverns keep the glasses cold as well.
3. Use the fizziest water you can find.
4. Take a large stemmed wine glass.
5. Pour the wine into the glass first.
6. Pour the water gently down the side. Do not stir the glass round at all.
7. Make each one of them to order.

Technique

• Sauer gespritzter is made with sparkling mineral water and suss gespritzter with clear lemonade; sauer means sour but simply marks the drier of the two, and ordering without specifying gets the sour one.
• A Heuriger is a tavern where a grower sells their own new wine with cold food, marked open by a green bush hung outside, and they fill the Vienna hills and the Lower Austrian wine regions.
• Pour the wine in first and the mineral water on top, gently down the side, and do not stir, since stirring drives the carbonation straight out.

Substitutions

• Any dry crisp young white wine works, and there is no point using an expensive bottle.
• Clear lemonade in place of mineral water makes the sweet version.

Variations

• A sommerspritzer uses more water and less wine.
• Some drinkers ask for more wine than the standard half.
• Red wine is spritzed the same way in some regions.

History

The default Austrian summer order in Heuriger taverns, asked for as sauer or süss depending on the mixer.

Frequently asked questions

What is Gespritzter?

Gespritzter is a cocktail from Austria: white wine lengthened with sparkling mineral water, drunk all summer. The default Austrian summer order in Heuriger taverns, asked for as sauer or süss depending on the mixer.

How long does Gespritzter take to make?

Gespritzter takes 2 minutes of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes serves 1. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Gespritzter?

Yes, within limits. Any dry crisp young white wine works, and there is no point using an expensive bottle. Clear lemonade in place of mineral water makes the sweet version.

What is the most important thing to get right in Gespritzter?

Pour the water gently down the side. Do not stir the glass round at all.