Goldschläger

Goldschläger is a Swiss cinnamon schnapps (43.5% alcohol by volume or 87 proof; originally it was 53.5% alcohol or 107 proof), a clear liqueur with very thin, yet visible flakes of gold leaf floating in it. The actual amount of gold is extremely small and serves as a sort of : there is currently less than a tenth of a gram (0.1 g) of gold flakes in a 750 ml bottle of Goldschläger [cite web | title = How Much is Inside Goldschlager? | date = 06-11-2008 | year = 2008 | url = http://www.cockeyed.com/inside/goldschlager/goldschlager2.html | accessdate = 2008-06-11] , which, as of July 9, 2008, amounts to about 3.00 USD on the international gold market.cite web | title = US Gold Price | date = 2008-01-26 | year = 2008 | url = http://goldprice.org/us-gold-price.html | accessdate = 2008-01-26]

Despite having Swiss origins, Goldschläger is a product of Italy. A similar alcoholic beverage that contains gold is Gold Strike and another liqueur with floating bits of gold leaf is Danziger Goldwasser, a German root and herbal liqueur which has been produced since at least 1598. The German word "Goldschläger" ("gold beater") designates the profession of gold leaf makers, who beat bars of gold into micrometer-thin sheets.

A few years after its introduction, Goldschläger was reformulated to contain less gold due to some alleged accounts of individuals suffering allergic reactions. [ [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10434381&dopt=Abstract Goldschläger allergy in a gold allergic patient] ] A common rumor about Goldschläger is that the gold flakes cut the throat or stomach upon ingestion, allowing the alcohol to directly enter the bloodstream for quicker intoxication. In reality, gold is known for its softness and malleability, and given that the flakes do not have sharp edges, no such lacerations occur. [cite web | title = Urban Legends Reference Pages: Gold in Goldschlager Rumor | date = 2007-11-16 | year = 2007 | url = http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/goldschlager.asp | accessdate = 2008-02-28]

In North America, Goldschläger is frequently mixed in equal proportions with Jägermeister, 70 proof (35%), and occasionally peppermint schnapps to make a cocktail called Liquid Cocaine, Golden Elk or JägerSchläger.

Popular culture

* Goldschläger was parodied in the 2007 film "Superbad", in which one of the main characters must purchase an alcoholic beverage containing gold flakes known as "Goldslick Vodka".
* It was also seen in the movie "Beerfest" as the drink that gets a character drunk after massive amounts of beer failed to do so.
* It is served up by the character Jenny in the 2001 comedy "Out Cold".
* In the LucasArts' adventure game "Grim Fandango", the protagonist must consume a Goldschläger type cordial in order to trigger a metal detector to progress through the game.
* In a deleted scene of the US version of "The Office" episode The Dundies, Dwight Schrute attempts to order "Goldschläger, extra flakes" from a waitress at Chili's.
* In the "The Girl in the Gator" episode of "Bones", gold flakes from the drink "Goldenrod" (a "100 proof cinnamon schnapps") are found in the corpse's stomach.
* In the song "Booze Me Up And Get Me High" by "Ween", Goldschläger is cited in the opening line.
* In the "Tech N9ne" song "Night and Day", the drink is mentioned as well.
* In the "Psych" episode "There's Something About Mira", Burton Guster attributes his (since annulled) marriage to "three little words: 'Let's try Goldschläger!'"
* In an episode of "Reno 911", it's mentioned that Deputy Travis Junior brews Tinschläger, with aluminum foil "flakes", because he can't afford Goldschläger.
* In the song "Blackout" by "Method Man and Redman" on the album with the same name, Goldschläger is referenced by Method Man.
* In the "American Dad" episode "The Magnificent Steven", Francine tells Roger they could go drink Goldschläger to annoy Haley as she cannot.
* In the 25 June, 2008 episode of "The Colbert Report", Stephen Colbert explains that he attempted to make a goose lay a golden egg - by forcing it to drink Goldschläger - in order to secure funding for his proposed studio redevelopment.

References

External links

* [http://www.boozebasher.com/2007-11-17/liqueurs/liquor-review-goldschlager Review of Goldschlager]
* [http://www.cockeyed.com/inside/goldschlager/goldschlager.html Analysis of gold content in Goldschläger]
* [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Display&dopt=pubmed_pubmed&from_uid=10434381 Evidence of allergic reactions resulting from ingestion of Goldschläger] (National Institutes of Health)