Luxembourg's countryside is dotted with Bongerten, old meadow orchards of tall fruit trees, and every autumn their apples go to the press. The juice is called Viz, and it is the soft drink of the country: cloudy, golden, sharper than the clear supermarket kind, and drunk by children, drivers and anyone who has had quite enough crémant. In the Mullerthal region alone, 138 apple varieties have been recorded, which goes some way to explaining why every village's Viz tastes a little different, and why Echternach gives the juice a festival of its own in October.

You do not need a press to make it. A blender and a clean cloth will do, provided you choose your apples with care: a mix of sweet and sharp is the secret. It is the right drink for a September race weekend, when the first apples of the season are on the trees.

The juice

Ingredients

• 3 lb (1.4 kg) apples
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) cold water
• to serve ice

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