Water and wine

Some 'wine experts' will probably go crazy when I say that a dash of soda water can make wine taste better. They have probably never tried it...

Imagine a hot summer day and you feel for something refreshing. And I don't mean a beer or a boring, too sweet, soft drink which make you sweat even more. Mineral water? Tastes like tap water with bubbles. A glass of wine perhaps? Well, this time of the day we maybe don't want to open up a bottle of the good stuff, it would be too much when it's this warm. So let's make a spritzer!

The spritzer, or 'fröccs' as it is named in Hungary where Ányos Jedlik invented the soda water in 1826, is very easy to produce:

- Take a simple, dry or semi dry, white, table wine. Or a lighter red, if you like a 'coloured' version. Add ice cold soda water (club soda) with big bubbles, as fizzy as possible. Mix in a simple high ball glass. No ice, no fancy glasses - use a simple glass for long drinks, or bigger.

For best and most economical result, make your own soda water with a soda siphon or streamer. If you don't have a soda siphon, improvise: Take (fizzy!!) mineral water - even if it won't be as good as with soda.

In case of emergency (when you are really thirsty and forgot to put the wine and water in the fridge) use some ice cubes to cool it, but rather not. Why add water to soda water!?!

Here are a couple of combinations, the names are translated from Hungarian where the spritzer culture is highly developed.

The Classic (also known as "Big spritzer")
2 dl wine, 1 dl soda water

Small spritzer (other names: "Small step" and "Whistle"
1 dl wine, 1 dl soda

Long step (sometimes "The Twisted")
1 dl wine, 2 dl soda

Janitor
3 dl wine, 2 dl soda

Vice janitor
2 dl wine, 3 dl soda

Landlord
4 dl wine, 1 dl soda

Tenant
1 dl wine, 4 dl soda

The Comedian (Krúdy spritzer)
9 dl wine, 1 dl soda

- No, the last one is not a joke. The legend says that the author only wanted to kid with the wine and only added this amount of water...