Spezi
Encyclopedia
Spezi, in some areas also known as "Cola-Mix", is a genericized trademark
for a soft drink
made with cola
and orange soda. Owner of the trademark
is Brauhaus Riegele in Augsburg
, Germany. When the brand was registered in 1956, Riegele at first was selling beer
under the trademark.
.jpg)
In most of Germany
and Austria
, Spezi is a generic term for a mixture of cola and orange soda. Riegele registered the trademark and tried to monopolise the use of the term, but did not achieve that goal. Most large beverage manufacturers sell similar products, though most of them only in Germany. Examples are Schwip Schwap by PepsiCo
or Mezzo Mix
by the Coca-Cola Company
. Nowadays, these two competitors sell far better than the original Spezi. However, original Spezi, in contrast to its main competitors, is not available in some parts of Germany, particularly in large parts of former East Germany, which is probably one of the reasons for its smaller market share. Like other colas, Spezi contains caffeine; other ingredients include water, sugar, carbonic acid
, orange juice and lemon juice.
Riegele Spezi is sold mostly in half litre glass bottles, but 0.33l and 1.5l bottles are available as well. There is also a diet version. The slogan is: "Spezi ist Spitze - trink das Original!" ("Spezi is great - drink the original!").
Due to its thirst-quenching qualities, it is particularly popular in ski resort
s and mountain huts, where it is often served in amounts of half a litre. By contrast, it is hardly ever seen in Vienna
. It is often the drink of choice for the designated driver
in Germany, sometimes referred to as "driver's beer."
In some regions of northern Germany (Emsland
), Spezi stands for a mixture of traditional German Schnapps
and cola.
Genericized trademark
A genericized trademark is a trademark or brand name that has become the colloquial or generic description for, or synonymous with, a general class of product or service, rather than as an indicator of source or affiliation as intended by the trademark's holder...
for a soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
made with cola
Cola
Cola is a carbonated beverage that was typically flavored by the kola nut as well as vanilla and other flavorings, however, some colas are now flavored artificially. It became popular worldwide after druggist John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola in 1886...
and orange soda. Owner of the trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
is Brauhaus Riegele in Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, Germany. When the brand was registered in 1956, Riegele at first was selling beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
under the trademark.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Spezi is a generic term for a mixture of cola and orange soda. Riegele registered the trademark and tried to monopolise the use of the term, but did not achieve that goal. Most large beverage manufacturers sell similar products, though most of them only in Germany. Examples are Schwip Schwap by PepsiCo
PepsiCo
PepsiCo Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Purchase, New York, United States, with interests in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of grain-based snack foods, beverages, and other products. PepsiCo was formed in 1965 with the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Company...
or Mezzo Mix
Mezzo Mix
Mezzo Mix is a product of the Coca-Cola Company sold only in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Finland. Its slogan, translated into English, is "Cola Kisses Orange". It is basically standard Coca-Cola with a light orange flavor, much like a Spezi, which is usually Coke mixed with orange...
by the Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia...
. Nowadays, these two competitors sell far better than the original Spezi. However, original Spezi, in contrast to its main competitors, is not available in some parts of Germany, particularly in large parts of former East Germany, which is probably one of the reasons for its smaller market share. Like other colas, Spezi contains caffeine; other ingredients include water, sugar, carbonic acid
Carbonic acid
Carbonic acid is the inorganic compound with the formula H2CO3 . It is also a name sometimes given to solutions of carbon dioxide in water, because such solutions contain small amounts of H2CO3. Carbonic acid forms two kinds of salts, the carbonates and the bicarbonates...
, orange juice and lemon juice.
Riegele Spezi is sold mostly in half litre glass bottles, but 0.33l and 1.5l bottles are available as well. There is also a diet version. The slogan is: "Spezi ist Spitze - trink das Original!" ("Spezi is great - drink the original!").
Due to its thirst-quenching qualities, it is particularly popular in ski resort
Ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
s and mountain huts, where it is often served in amounts of half a litre. By contrast, it is hardly ever seen in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. It is often the drink of choice for the designated driver
Designated driver
The terms "designated driver" and "designated driving" refer to selecting a person to remain sober, as the driver of a vehicle, while others are allowed to drink to excess . A designated driver is a person who abstains from alcohol on a social occasion in order to drive his/her companions home safely...
in Germany, sometimes referred to as "driver's beer."
In some regions of northern Germany (Emsland
Emsland
Landkreis Emsland is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany named after the river Ems. It is bounded by the districts of Leer, Cloppenburg and Osnabrück, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia , the district of Bentheim and the Netherlands .- History :For a long time the region of the Emsland was...
), Spezi stands for a mixture of traditional German 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...
and cola.