Ask for a drink in almost any German café, beer garden or sports club and someone will order an Apfelschorle. It is nothing more than apple juice mixed with sparkling mineral water, yet Germans drink it so devotedly that it is sold in bottles everywhere, and athletes reach for it after a race because it is close to isotonic. It is less sweet than juice, more interesting than water, and endlessly refillable.

The secret is the juice. Germans favor naturally cloudy apple juice, pressed from whole apples and not filtered clear, which tastes like biting into the fruit. With a sprig of mint and plenty of ice it becomes the most refreshing thing in a hot grandstand, and nobody has to hand their car keys to anyone.

The Schorle

Ingredients

• 2 cups (480 ml) cold cloudy apple juice
• 2 cups (480 ml) cold sparkling mineral water
• 1 handful ice cubes
• 4 thin apple slices
• 4 sprigs fresh mint

Method

1. Put a few ice cubes in each glass and pour in the apple juice, dividing it evenly.
2. Slowly top each glass with the sparkling water, pouring down the side of the glass to keep the bubbles. Stir once, gently, with the long spoon.
3. Add an apple slice and a sprig of mint, slapped once between your palms first to release its scent.

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