Spritzer

Snapshot

Half dry white wine, half sparkling water, over ice: Austria’s default summer drink, ordered by everyone from students to grandmothers, and costing less than a soft drink at most Salzburg terraces.

The Story

The Spritzer is not a shortcut to wine. It is its own category in Austrian drinking culture, with its own logic and its own appropriate context. That context is summer, a terrace, and more than one hour to spend sitting down. The standard mix is roughly equal parts dry white wine, Grüner Veltliner or Welschriesling being the common choices, and sparkling mineral water. The result is lower in alcohol than a full glass of wine, longer-lasting, and better suited to afternoon heat than either component alone.

In Salzburg, there is a local variation worth knowing: the Hallespritzer, which adds a splash of elderberry syrup (Holler) to the standard mix. The syrup turns the drink slightly violet and adds a mild tartness that complements the peppery quality of Grüner Veltliner. It is not served everywhere, but it is served enough to be considered a Salzburg thing rather than an eccentric personal preference.

The democratic quality of the Spritzer is worth noting. It costs what it costs, which is not much. There is no social signal attached to ordering one. It appears at farmers’ markets, beer garden terraces, wine bars, and festival grounds without any adjustment to its basic character. This is a drink that does not want to be anything other than what it is.

Where to try it

Triangel, Magazin, and Andreas Hofer Weinstube are the reliable addresses for a well-made Spritzer with Austrian wine. Any beer garden terrace in Salzburg in summer will also serve one. The Augustiner Bräustübl is a beer garden, but most stalls outside the main hall carry wine and wine spritzers.