Goldschläger
Encyclopedia
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
schnapps
Schnapps
Schnapps is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage. The English word schnapps is derived from the German Schnaps , which can refer to any strong alcoholic drink but particularly those containing at least 32% ABV...
(43.5% alcohol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
by volume or 87 proof
Proof (alcohol)
Alcohol proof is a measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage. The term was originally used in the United Kingdom and was defined as 7/4 times the alcohol by volume . The UK now uses the abv standard instead of alcohol proof. In the United States, alcoholic proof is defined...
; originally it was 53.5% alcohol or 107 proof), a liqueur
Liqueur
A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.The...
with very thin, yet visible flakes of gold leaf
Gold leaf
right|thumb|250px|[[Burnishing]] gold leaf with an [[agate]] stone tool, during the water gilding processGold leaf is gold that has been hammered into extremely thin sheets and is often used for gilding. Gold leaf is available in a wide variety of karats and shades...
floating in it. The actual amount of gold is extremely small and serves as a sort of novelty: there is currently less than a tenth of a gram (0.1 g) of gold flakes in a 750 mL bottle of Goldschläger, which, as of November 23, 2011, amounts to about 5.97 USD on the international gold market.
Despite being first produced in Switzerland during the 1990s, Goldschläger is a product of Italy and the brand is owned by Diageo
Diageo
Diageo plc is a global alcoholic beverages company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of spirits and a major producer of beer and wine....
. The German word Goldschläger ("gold beater") designates the profession of gold leaf makers, who beat bars of gold into micrometre-thin sheets.
A few years after its introduction, Goldschläger was reformulated to contain less gold due to some alleged accounts of individuals suffering allergic
Allergy
An Allergy is a hypersensitivity disorder of the immune system. Allergic reactions occur when a person's immune system reacts to normally harmless substances in the environment. A substance that causes a reaction is called an allergen. These reactions are acquired, predictable, and rapid...
reactions. XRD analysis shows the gold has strong (200) preferred orientation normal to the surface of the flakes.
Goldschläger can be mixed in equal proportions with Jägermeister
Jägermeister
Jägermeister is a German 70-proof digestif made with 56 different herbs and spices. It is the flagship product of Mast-Jägermeister SE, headquartered in Wolfenbüttel, south of Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany.- History :...
, 70 proof (35%), and Bacardi 151
Bacardi 151
Bacardi 151 is an over-proof rum. The 151-proof liquor has an alcohol content of 75.5%, compared to the usual 35%-40%.Due to its high proof, it is typically used as a component in cocktails...
, 151 proof (75.5%) to make a shot called liquid cocaine. Another drink containing Goldschläger, Jägermeister
Jägermeister
Jägermeister is a German 70-proof digestif made with 56 different herbs and spices. It is the flagship product of Mast-Jägermeister SE, headquartered in Wolfenbüttel, south of Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany.- History :...
, and peppermint schnapps in equal proportion is known as "Three Wise Men" or a "Rich Dead Nazi", although the former most commonly refers to a mixture of Jim Beam
Jim Beam
Jim Beam is a brand of bourbon whiskey produced in Clermont, Kentucky. It is currently one of the best selling brands of bourbon in the world. Since 1795 , seven generations of the Beam family have been involved in whiskey production for the company that produces the brand, which was given the name...
, Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch Whisky owned by Diageo and originated in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland.It is the most widely distributed brand of blended Scotch whisky in the world, sold in almost every country with yearly sales of over 130 million bottles.-History:Originally known as Walker's...
and Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's is a brand of sour mash Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors. It is known for its square bottles and black label. As of November, 2007, one blogger was claiming that it was the best-selling whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee by...
.
Also a cocktail containing a single shot of Goldschläger, dropped into a glass of energy drink, (similar to a Jaegerbomb) is known as a Glitterbomb.
Another cocktail containing a single shot of Goldschläger and a single shot of Disaronno topped up with Pepsi or Coca Cola is known as a Squires Special.
In popular culture
Goldschlager is parodied in the 2007 film SuperbadSuperbad
Superbad may refer to:* Superbad ** Superbad * Superbad * "Super Bad" , by James Brown* Super Bad , by Terminator X* Superbad: The Return of Boosie Bad Azz, an album by Lil Boosie...
by a fictional drink called Goldslick Vodka, and again in the 2007 "Bones" episode "The Girl In The Gator" by a type of schnapps called Goldenrod, the description of which is virtually identical to Goldschlager.