Schorle

Due to its dilution it is less sweet or alcoholic than the original beverage, making it better suited as a refreshment on hot summer days or as an alternative to beer at the biergarten or weinstube [de].

According to the Duden dictionary of etymology, the word Schorlemorle, which occurred first as Schurlemurle in Lower Bavaria, is since the 18th century a designation for a mixed drink consisting of wine and sparkling mineral water.

In an article of the Südwest Presse, Henning Petershagen lists also other attempts to interpret the origin of this word, for example a linguistic relationship to the Dutch term schorriemorrie, which means "ragtag" or "rabble".

The digitale bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse letteren provides evidence that the word originates from the Persian-Turkish schurmur which means "confusion, turmoil" and is similarly present in Albanian, Serbian, Slovenian and Russian, up to the Spanish churriburri.

Schorle is said to have formed thus; the oriental schurimuri came to Europe with its original meaning "muddle" where it was established as a character denotation (also as family name) and as a term to refer to the beverage-muddle.

Schorle is also called Gespritzter in some areas of Germany but this doesn't always mean the same thing: In Hesse, 'Gespritzter' stands for a 2:1, sometimes even a 3:1 mixture of apple wine and sparkling water.

Sweet Gespritzter is made with herbal lemonade (for example Almdudler); other terms are Almweiß, Liftler oder Tiroler.

The mixing ratio is about 50% white or red wine with 50% sparkling water (sour) or lemonade (sweet).

The various mixtures of (generally dry) wine and sparkling mineral water also have a long tradition and are very popular in Hungary.

They are generally called fröccs (spritzers) but the numerous variations (with wine and water in differing ratios) have various imaginative names in Hungarian.

In the former Yugoslavian area, wine with mineral water is commonly called špricer or gemišt (spritzer or mixed).

In Great Britain, red or white wine mixed with lemonade or carbonated water has been well known since the 1980s as a spritzer.

"Apfelschorle" is particularly popular but sourer or bitterer varieties of fruit also work quite well; for example using grapefruit, which has juice that, when undiluted, is otherwise less palatable.

Sometimes synthetic apple flavouring is added, which can give the drink an unnatural and strange taste.