You know how some countries have national dishes, national animals, even national flowers? Hungary has all those too – but it also has something way more fun: the national drink of summer. It’s fizzy. It’s boozy. It’s brilliantly basic. Say hello to the fröccs.

Fröccs is what happens when Hungarians look at a glass of wine on a hot summer day and say, “Good… but it needs bubbles.” So they grab soda water – real soda water, not mineral water, not some hipster sparkling nonsense, and definitely not lemon-flavored anything – and pour it in. That’s it. Simple. Refreshing. Non-negotiable.

What’s in a fröccs?

Simple recipe:
Dry white or rosé wine + soda water = fröccs.

That’s it. But the beauty is in the ratios – and the ridiculous number of names people came up with for every possible combo. We’re talking nearly 50 different versions, each with its own name, ratio and level of commitment to hydration or hangover. It’s not rocket science – it’s wine math, and Hungary turned it into an art form.

Oh, and since 2013, fröccs isn’t just a fun drink – it’s officially a Hungarikum. That means it’s a national treasure. And it earns that title every summer, faithfully showing up as the go-to companion when the heat hits hard.

And one more thing: fröccs is a summer drink, so it must be cold. It exists to cool you down, not warm your soul. So chill that wine, chill that soda, maybe even chill the glass. Lukewarm fröccs is a sad, fizzy mistake.

Let’s get you fluent in fröccs:

First, the basics – 1 dl (deciliter) is 100 ml, which is roughly 3 1/3 fluid ounces or 1/5 of a pint. Got it? Great. Now you’re ready to talk like a local at a Hungarian wine bar.

• Kisfröccs (“Small fröccs”): 1 dl wine + 1 dl soda
  A tiny refresher. A polite nod to day drinking.
• Nagyfröccs (“Big fröccs”): 2 dl wine + 1 dl soda
  Classic. The default. The Coca-Cola of fröccs.
• Hosszúlépés (“Long step”): 1 dl wine + 2 dl soda
  More water, less wine. Popular with people trying to “stay functional.”
• Házmester (“Housekeeper”): 3 dl wine +2 dl soda
  A proper thirst-quencher with less guilt.
• Háziúr (“Landlord”): 4 dl wine + 1 dl soda
  Less refreshing, more regrettable. But still respectable.

There are also:

• Krúdy-fröccs: Named after writer Gyula Krúdy. That guy knew how to drink. His favorite? 9 dl wine + 1 dl soda. Basically wine with a surprise.
• Sportfröccs: Barely any wine. 1 dl wine + 4 dl soda. For when you want to hydrate with just a hint of mischief.
• Fordított (“Reversed”): More wine than soda? Or more soda than wine? Honestly, it depends who’s pouring. Some versions flip the ratio, some just flip your expectations. Don’t overthink it – just nod, take a sip, and enjoy the mystery.

The birth of fröccs: when science met poetry

The fröccs didn’t just appear out of nowhere. It was officially born on October 5, 1842. That’s when Ányos Jedlik, the guy who invented the first Hungarian soda water machine, took his fizzy contraption to a grape harvest at András Fáy’s estate in Fót. Being a man of science and style, Jedlik decided to mix the soda water with wine. He called it “spriccer”, borrowing the German word for “splash.”

But poet Mihály Vörösmarty was also there, and he wasn’t having it. He wanted a Hungarian name. Something that sounded right. So, he came up with “fröccs.” Short, punchy and honestly, way more fun to say. And just like that, Hungary’s most beloved bubbly wine drink got its name.

Why soda water, not mineral water?

Let’s settle this once and for all:
Fröccs is made with soda water.

Not mineral water.
Not tonic.
Not sparkling coconut essence or whatever trend your fridge is currently hoarding.

Soda water – as in plain water + CO₂ under pressure. That’s it. It’s neutral, fizzy, and just the right amount of sparkle to lift the wine without changing its taste. Mineral water has flavors and minerals that mess with the balance. In Hungary, using the wrong water in a fröccs is practically a crime. (Okay, not really – but you will get judged.)

Fröccs culture: drink it anywhere, anytime (seriously)

Fröccs is the opposite of wine snobbery. It’s about enjoying wine without all the swirl-sniff-sip nonsense. You can have a fröccs in the middle of a heatwave, at a lake, at a family barbecue, or just because it’s Tuesday.

Hungarians don’t just tolerate fröccs – they celebrate it. Bars and cafes have full-on fröccs menus. People debate ratios like sports stats. You can even buy fröccs-ready soda water in bottles labeled fröccsvíz (yes, it’s that official).

And it’s not just about getting tipsy. Fröccs is social. It’s light. It’s refreshing. It’s the drink of people who want to have a good time and remember it.

Here’s why we love it:

• It’s cheap.
• It’s cold.
• It keeps the hangover at bay.
• It’s customizable to your mood, hydration level and bravery.
• It has history, weird names and a whole culture behind it.

So next time you’re in Hungary – or just tired of wine being too winey – grab a bottle of white or rosé wine, some soda water (not mineral!), and make yourself a fröccs. Then make another. Then try to remember which one was called the “long step” and which one was the “housekeeper.”

It won’t matter. You’ll be smiling. Because fröccs, like most good things in life, doesn’t take itself too seriously.