Humphreys Peak
Arizona
June 2013
On our hike down from the summit of 12633-foot Humphreys Peak, we encounter an animated group of college-age hiker gentlemen. We can’t help but overhear their conversation. They are discussing Goldschläger, a cinnamon schnapps invented by the Swiss. It is a liqueur of 43.5% alcohol content or 87 proof. We’re talking headbanger caliber. Goldschläger is a novelty; very thin flakes of gold are mingled into the potion in the bottle. You can see them floating within the clear liquid. It’s kind of eerie and funky at the same time.
Perspective: each bottle contains approximately 13 milligrams of gold in just a bit more than a quart of booze. A nickel weighs five grams. It would take the gold from 385 bottles of Goldschläger to equal the weight of a nickel.
The price of gold has gone up every year in the ten years ending in 2012 but then it dropped 13% in 2013. Even so, at today’s prices, the gold in a bottle of Goldschläger is worth about 59¢. Here is the discussion we overhear…
“Dude, there’s real gold in that drink, y’know. Where do you think the name comes from. I mean, it’s called Goldschläger, dude.”
“Gold? That would poison you.”
“No it wouldn’t, dude. It’s just fool’s gold.”
“Yeah, hey, you should check your poop ‘cause it would be worth a lot of money.”
Thank you, gentlemen. I’m not convinced that it’s the gold that’s fool.
Goldschläger: — Taste the Real Golden Shower
Dude.