I admit to being obsessed with Goldschlager. This liquor has real gold in it! Is it low carb? Is it low calorie? Is it healthy to drink down real gold?

Let's start with the easy question. Just what is Goldschlager? This is an ultimate "celebration drink" for people who enjoy feeling wealthy. Just like the ancient Egyptians and the miners of 49ers, drinking gold is a symbol of wealth. You are so full of money that you can drink gold and poop it out without any worries.

So how much gold are you drinking? The average 750ml bottle of Goldschlager has about 0.1g of very thinly sliced gold flakes in it. The current price of gold is $572/oz (in October 2006). 0.1g is .004oz. Some simple multiplication tells you that .004oz of gold will run you $2.29 if you bought it on the open market. Current prices for the bottle are about $23 per bottle.

Most people tolerate gold very well. Look at all the humans wearing gold rings 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Look at all the gold teeth out there. However, just like with everything, some humans are allergic to gold. So just like some people can't wear a gold wedding band, some people have allergic reactions to drinking in a "heavy metal" as a fun drink.

Goldschlager bills itself as a Swiss drink but is really from Italy. It's a cinnamon flavor which is really just base alcohol plus flavoring plus gold flakes. Its reputation is with its swirly gold snow-globe fun, not its flavor. So what is its carb count?

Unfortunately for people who want to stay healthy, you're getting a hefty 11g of carbs for every *ounce* of Goldschlager you drink. That's 103 calories, and it's 87 proof on top of that. I definitely recommend having a different drink with cinnamon added to it. Real cinnamon is very healthy for you, and there's no reason to be ingesting heavy metals like gold. If you like gold, wear it on your finger. Don't send it through your digestive tract.

I admit to having a bottle of Goldschlager on my shelf, but it looks pretty there :) Shake it up every once in a while - but have other drinks that are more about function rather than looks.


Lisa Shea's Library of Low Carb Books