Local Drinks

1. Apfelschorle

   Apple juice with sparkling water

   Usage

   The default soft drink anywhere in the German-speaking world. "Schorle" is the general word for juice cut with sparkling water; other kinds exist, such as Rhabarberschorle. In some regions, notably the Palatinate, plain "Schorle" means wine with sparkling water, so ask for "Apfelschorle" by name if you want the non-alcoholic one

   Grammar Note

   Usually feminine (die Schorle), though das Schorle also occurs. A compound of "Apfel" (apple) + "Schorle"

2. Mineralwasser

   Mineral water

   Usage

   Ask for water in a German-speaking country and you will usually get it sparkling. Say "still" for flat water, "mit Kohlensäure" or "mit Sprudel" for sparkling, "medium" for lightly sparkling. Menus print it as "Mineralwasser still / spritzig"

   Grammar Note

   Neuter noun (das Mineralwasser), plural die Mineralwässer: "Mineral" + "Wasser" (water)

3. Leitungswasser

   Tap water

   Usage

   Restaurants in German-speaking countries do not bring water automatically. You have to ask, and some places will decline or charge for it; ordering bottled Mineralwasser is the norm

   Grammar Note

   Neuter noun (das Leitungswasser): "Leitung" (pipe, line) + "Wasser" (water) — literally "pipe water"

4. Spezi

   Cola mixed with orange soda

   Usage

   A German mix of cola and orange lemonade. "Spezi" is a trademark registered by Brauhaus Riegele in Augsburg in 1956, so places without a licence do not print it: the same drink appears as Mezzo Mix (Coca-Cola), Schwip Schwap (PepsiCo), or regionally as Cola-Mix, Gwasch or Mexi. If the word draws a blank, say "Cola mit Orangenlimonade"

   Grammar Note

   The gender is genuinely unsettled — der, die and das all occur. In a café it is enough to say "Ein Spezi, bitte" without worrying about it

5. Eiskaffee

   Cold coffee served with vanilla ice cream

   Usage

   Not the same as English "iced coffee": German Eiskaffee is cooled coffee (or a lengthened espresso) with vanilla ice cream floated in it and whipped cream on top — a dessert drink. For coffee merely served over ice, ask for "Kaffee mit Eiswürfeln"

   Grammar Note

   Masculine noun (der Eiskaffee). German "Eis" means both "ice" and "ice cream"; here it is the second sense

6. Milchkaffee

   Coffee with plenty of hot milk

   Usage

   Roughly half coffee and half hot milk, often served in a large bowl-shaped cup — close to a café au lait. If you only want a splash of milk, ask for "Kaffee mit Milch" instead

   Grammar Note

   Masculine noun (der Milchkaffee): "Milch" (milk) + "Kaffee" (coffee)

7. Filterkaffee

   Filter coffee

   Usage

   What you get in the traditional afternoon coffee-and-cake setting ("Kaffee und Kuchen"). Even now that espresso bars are everywhere, bakeries and provincial cafés still pour filter coffee from a pot; simply asking for "einen Kaffee" may bring either kind

   Grammar Note

   Masculine noun (der Filterkaffee): "Filter" + "Kaffee"

8. Heiße Schokolade

   Hot chocolate

   Usage

   One of the most common non-alcoholic drinks at winter Christmas markets and mountain huts. Add "mit Sahne" for whipped cream or "ohne Sahne" without. For children it is often called simply "Kakao"

   Grammar Note

   Feminine noun (die Schokolade). The adjective "heiß" (hot) inflects with the noun, giving "heiße" in the feminine nominative. Swiss spelling has no ß and writes "heisse Schokolade"

9. Kräutertee

   Herbal tea

   Usage

   Available in every café. To ask for a specific kind: Pfefferminztee (peppermint), Kamillentee (camomile), Fencheltee (fennel). Plain "Tee" will usually bring black tea, so name the kind if you are avoiding caffeine

   Grammar Note

   Masculine noun (der Tee), plural die Tees. "Kräuter" is the plural of "Kraut" (herb), compounded with "Tee"

10. Malztrunk

    Sweet dark malt drink

    Usage

    A dark sweet drink made from malt, popular with children too. It is practically non-alcoholic, but similar products (e.g. "Malzbier") exist under other names, so check the label if you avoid alcohol entirely

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun (der Malztrunk): "Malz" (malt) + "Trunk" (a drink, from "trinken")

11. Fassbrause

    Malt-and-fruit soft drink

    Usage

    Invented in Berlin in 1908 by the chemist Ludwig Scholvien for his son — an alcohol-free drink that looks and tastes something like beer. Traditional Fassbrause poured from the keg is still a Berlin and Brandenburg speciality; since around 2010 breweries have launched their own versions in flavours from raspberry to elderflower. Note that some products labelled alcohol-free have been reported to retain about 0.5%

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun (die Fassbrause): "Fass" (barrel) + "Brause" (fizzy drink)

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