Goldschläger

Goldschläger is a Swiss cinnamon schnapps (43.5% alcohol by volume or 87 proof; originally it was 53.5% alcohol or 107 proof),^[1] a liqueur with very thin, yet visible flakes of gold floating in it. The actual amount of gold has been measured at approximately 13 mg in a 1-Litre bottle of Goldschläger.^[2] As of November 2012 this amounts to €0.56 EUR or lower on the international gold market.^[3]

Goldschläger was produced in Switzerland until the 1990s, when the brand was acquired by Diageo, which continued production of Goldschläger schnapps in Italy.^[1] Since 2008 it is a brand of Global Brands^[4] and produced in Switzerland again.^[5] The German word Goldschläger ("gold beater"^[6]) designates the profession of gold leaf makers, who beat bars of gold into micrometre-thin sheets.

It competes on the market with other high potency cinnamon-based elixirs including Fireball Cinnamon Whisky by Sazerac Company, DeKuyper Hot Damn! (liqueur), Hood River Distillers SinFire Cinnamon Whisky, and Red Stag Spiced by Jim Beam.

Cocktails

• Rich Dead Nazi (aka Liquid Cocaine) : Goldschläger, Jägermeister, and peppermint schnapps mixed in equal proportion ^[7]
• Glitterbomb: Single shot of Goldschläger, dropped into a glass of energy drink such as Redbull, (similar to a Jagerbomb)
• Squires Special: A single shot of Goldschläger and a single shot of Disaronno topped up with Pepsi or Coca Cola.
• Rim Job Swirl: Goldschläger topped off with a shot of Godiva white chocolate liqueur.
• Cinnamon Cocktail: A single shot of Goldschläger mixed with equal parts of Redbull and soda water on ice.^[8]
• Thrasherbomb: A single shot of Jägermeister, dropped into a glass of Goldschläger. Popularized by Kerry King of metal band Slayer.
• Starry Night: A shot made of Goldschläger and Jägermeister.
• Bourgeoisie: A shot made of Bailey's Irish Cream, French Vanilla Kahlua, and Goldschläger.
• Uncharted 3 - Drake's Deception: Grab a highball glass and rub lime juice around the rim before dunking it onto a plate of sugar, then pour in 175ml ginger beer. Next, get a shot glass and pour in 10ml of Goldschlager, followed by 15ml of overproof rum, poured over the back of a spoon. You can now carefully light the shot and sprinkle cinnamon over the top from about 40cms to get an impressive flame. Then blow it out and drop the shot glass into the ginger beer.
• Naked Dooley: San Francisco regional drink. Equal parts Goldschläger, Midori liqueur and Southern Comfort. Add a 151 float and light on fire for a flaming red beard.
• The Savannah Theme: American South regional drink. A shot of Goldschläger in a glass of iced tea.
• The Triforce: In a Shot Glass equal parts of Goldschläger, 99 Bananas and Captain Morgan Black Rum in that order. Each represents the three characters of The Legend of Zelda Series and the triforce piece they hold, Power, Wisdom and Courage.
• Black Banker: Goldschläger mixed with Banker's Vodka and Chocolate Syrup.
• Irish Cookie: 1/2 oz chocolate, 6 ozs stout (Guinness), 1/2 oz Bailey's Irish Cream, 1/2 oz Goldschläger.^[9][10]
• Smaug's Breath: A flaming shot made with one part Goldschläger, one part Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, and a splash of Everclear.^[11]
• Golden Pepper: shot or mixed drink with 1 part Goldschläger, float top with Dr Pepper
• The Reaper: In a 15 oz wine glass, add 1 oz Goldschläger, 3 drops of bitters, fill with red wine
• Oatmeal Cookie: 2oz Goldschläger, 2oz Bailey's Irish Cream, 2oz Butterscotch Schnapps
• Indecent Proposal: 1oz Goldschläger in a 2oz shot glass. Top with Reddi Whip Cream (from the can, not the tub).
• GoldChaga: 2oz Goldschläger, 6oz Chaga mushroom tea in a tall narrow glass

In popular culture

In Psych episode 2.11, Gus (Dule Hill) claims that a woman got him to marry her by saying "three little words: 'Let's try Goldschläger!'"

In the 2006 movie Beerfest, the characters are trying to recall the secret location of the competition. Having been training for a drinking competition all year long, they are unable to reach the appropriate state of inebriation with beer alone. Turning to a bottle of Goldschläger, Todd Wolfhouse (Eric Stolhanske) drinks the entire bottle, leaving him with gold lips and the correct level of drunkenness to lead the rest of the American drinking team to the competition.

Goldschläger is parodied in the 2007 film Superbad by a fictional drink called Goldslick Vodka, and again in the 2007 Bones episode "The Girl in the Gator" buys a type of schnapps called Goldenrod, the description of which is virtually identical to Goldschläger.

In the 2012 movie "The Campaign" Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) says at the dinner table "I was plied with copious amounts of Red Bull, jello shots and Goldschläger. Do you remember Dr.Jenkins? He thought I had Crohn's disease. There were flakes of 24 carat gold in my stool for about a month... I crapped GOLD!".

It is referred to in the song "Hell raisin' heat of the summer" by Florida Georgia Line with the line "and the gold flakes glimmer in the cinnamon booze" and in "Gold" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Eighty4 Fly (2012) with the line "Goldschläger faded, 14 carat plated".

References