What ingredients are in a Zinger?

4 shots Peachtree schnapps, 4 shots Surge

What glass do you use for a Zinger?

A Zinger is traditionally served in a Vaso Highball.

How strong is a Zinger?

A Zinger has an estimated ABV of 7,80%.

How many calories are in a Zinger?

A Zinger contains approximately 98 calories per serving.

What ingredients are in a Zinger?

The Zinger is made with peach schnapps and Surge, a high-caffeine citrus soda that was produced by Coca-Cola in the 1990s. It is served over ice in a highball glass, requiring no additional mixing beyond combining the two ingredients. The formula is extremely simple and produces a very sweet, fruit-forward drink.

What is Surge soda and why is it associated with the Zinger?

Surge was a citrus-flavored, high-caffeine carbonated soda launched by Coca-Cola in 1996 as a competitor to Pepsi's Mountain Dew, featuring aggressive marketing targeting young consumers. Its intense sweetness and citrus-heavy profile made it a natural casual mixer for sweet liqueurs like peach schnapps in 1990s American party culture. Surge was discontinued in the early 2000s, making the Zinger a recipe tied to a specific era.

Does the Zinger have any significant ABV?

A Zinger made with a modest pour of peach schnapps (typically 15–20% ABV) mixed with a larger volume of Surge soda results in a finished ABV in the range of 3–6%, depending on the ratio. This makes it a low-ABV party drink similar in strength to a beer. The high sweetness and modest alcohol content made it accessible to casual drinkers in its 1990s context.

Peach schnapps and Surge, the discontinued high-caffeine citrus soda, combine in the Zinger, a minimal party drink served in a highball glass. The schnapps contributes a sweet stone-fruit character while Surge adds an intensely sweet, citrus-heavy soda profile, the two together producing a very sweet, fruity result with almost no bitterness or complexity. At roughly 8% ABV it is casual and unfussy, a relic of 1990s American party culture built on a soda no longer sold. Its identity rests on the sweetness of its two components rather than on balance or technique.

Zinger

Copa Vaso Highball

Dificultad Easy

Calorías ~98 kcal

ABV 7,80%

Ingredientes

Peachtree schnapps 4 shots
Surge 4 shots

Instrucciones

Get a shot glass and pour in three shots of the schnapps. Do the same with the Surge Cola. Then down it like Scheetz would.

Citrus Refreshing

El Zinger es una bebida de fiesta mínima y dulce que combina schnapps de melocotón y Surge (un refresco cítrico con alto contenido de cafeína descontinuado), servida en un vaso highball. La combinación del carácter dulce de fruta de hueso del schnapps de melocotón y el perfil de refresco cítrico intensamente dulce del Surge crea una bebida muy dulce y afrutada con casi ninguna amargura o complejidad. Es una bebida casual de la cultura de fiestas americanas de los años 90.

History & Origins

The Zinger is a modern American party drink of disputed origin, created around the mid-1990s when both Surge (Coca-Cola's Mountain Dew competitor, launched 1996) and peach schnapps were popular bar ingredients. The drink reflects the era's taste for intensely sweet, fruity mixed drinks using convenience mixers. Surge was discontinued by Coca-Cola in the early 2000s, making the Zinger a period-specific cocktail associated with late 1990s American youth culture.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Very sweet peach from the schnapps with Surge's intense citrus and sugar character. Palate: Extremely sweet and peach-citrus dominant, with very little alcohol sensation despite the schnapps base; the overall profile is dessert-like and uncomplicated. Finish: Sweet, sugary, and fruity with minimal depth or finish complexity.

sweet peach citrus fruity light

Pro Tip

Serve very cold in a chilled glass to moderate the intense sweetness; a small amount of fresh lime juice squeezed in brightens the flavor considerably.

Data verified enero 2017

Información nutricional →

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