Why isn't every speci called "speci" and why are there hardly any abroad? The most important answers to perhaps Bavaria's second favorite drink.
- In Bavaria, Cola Mix is considered a "national drink" alongside beer.
- But why are some brands allowed to call their soda "Spezi" and others not?
- In our article from 2016 we clarify.
Munich - In Bavaria there are actually two "national drinks". On the one hand, of course, the beer in various forms, be it as a light or wheat beer or even Radler. On the other hand, cola mix, commonly known as "Spezi".
But actually you shouldn't call every cola-mix drink "Spezi". Because just like "Tempo", the term "Spezi" is also protected. And since 1956, when it was secured by the Augsburg brewery Riegele, which still sells its specialty with the addition of "The Original" in the distinctive bottle.
How was the drink invented?
How was the drink invented in the first place? The Riegele brewery describes this on its homepage. It has been observed "that cola and orange lemonade were mixed in many restaurants," they say. "After this was time-consuming for the landlord, it took up a lot of empty space, and lemonade and cola leftovers kept getting stale, the brewery had the idea of offering a ready-mixed drink. The success was resounding . Original Spezi ColaOrange - as it is today calls - was born. After the brewery was not able to serve a larger area on its own, like-minded partners were looked for. " In 1977 the "Spezi Brand Drinks Association e. V." founded.
Even if there are a large number of providers in Germany who mix and sell cola with orange lemonade, only a few of them are allowed to call it "Spezi". "Spezi as Tempo used as a generic name, but he is not one," Riegele-senior partner Sebastian complains Priller on welt.de . The few manufacturers who call their drink "Spezi" have to shell out a regular license fee to Riegele.
Except for "Paulaner-Spezi", Brauhaus Riegele doesn't taste good at all
There is one exception - and the Brauhaus Riegele doesn't like it at all: Paulaner can call his drink "Spezi" WITHOUT having to pay an annual license. Because: Even before the association was founded, Paulaner bought a permanent license for a one-off payment. A "very sad chapter in our history," the Riegele senior boss angry at welt.de .
Why is there almost no Cola-Mix / Spezi abroad?
Have you ever tried to buy Spezi abroad? No problem beyond the Austrian border, but when you come to Italy (where you sometimes still mix Coke and lemon soda), it gets difficult. And almost impossible in distant foreign countries. Riegele tried in vain to establish his specialty in Switzerland, and a Pepsi spokesman explains on welt.de : “The cola mix market tends to be a German phenomenon . Internationally, this mix of cola and orange is of much less importance. "
You know that at Coca-Cola too. Their "mezzo mix" is only available in about a handful of nations apart from Germany, for example in the neighbors Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands (under the name "Fanta Mezzo") and - this is unusual - Finland.
Why most people abroad do not like the mixture of cola and orange lemonade remains a mystery. The drink is also much more common in southern Germany than in the north - but it is becoming more and more popular there.
What else is cola mix called?
The official name "Cola-Mix" is hardly used by anyone who orders a glass in a restaurant. In addition to the colloquial (but, as mentioned above, not entirely correct) "Spezi", there are other common names, some of which are only very regional: With luck, depending on the location, you will also get a cola mix drink if you have a "Gwasch" ", a" Mexican ", a" Moorwasser ", a" thin whistle "or a" Diesel ". On the other hand, you should avoid ordering a "cold coffee". If the waiter understands you correctly, you will be given a cola-mix drink. If things don't go well, it's actually cold coffee.
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21 types of cola mix in a blind test
This little history lesson was an anticipation of an article that we have already put online: A blind test with 21 cola mix drinks gave a surprising result.
