Spezi
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For the East German secret police see Stasi
Spezi 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.
In most of Germany and Austria, Spezi is has been a generic term for a mixture of cola and orange soda. Riegele registered the trademark and tried to monopolize 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. These two competitors nowadays sell far better than the original Spezi.
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 resorts 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 usually 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 Schnapps and cola.
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