Austria's Favorite Drinks: A Cultural Beverage Exploration

Austria is known for its coffee culture, with café culture being an integral part of Austrian life since the 17th century. In fact, 92% of Austrians claim to drink coffee daily. The country also has a strong beer culture, with the average Austrian consuming over 100 litres of beer each year. When it comes to alcoholic drinks, beer and wine are the most popular. However, there is a wide variety of drinks in Austria, from soft drinks to cocktails, and from hot drinks to digestifs.

Coffee

The coffee houses of Vienna are known for their elegant decor, featuring marble tabletops, Thonet chairs, and ornate furnishings. They offer a wide range of specialty coffees, from the classic Viennese Einspänner (espresso topped with whipped cream) to the Mozart Café (a double espresso with a cap of whipped cream served with a side of sherry brandy). Coffee is almost always served with a glass of water and sometimes a small piece of chocolate on the side. It is common to enjoy coffee with one of the many delicious cakes and pastries that Austria is famous for.

The coffee house is more than just a place to get a caffeine fix; it is a social hub where Austrians meet with friends and family. This tradition is so deeply ingrained in Austrian culture that UNESCO has granted it intangible cultural heritage status.

In Vienna, coffee is more than just a drink; it is a ritual. At 4 pm every day, locals indulge in Jause, a coffee-and-pastry ritual practised in the city's coffee houses. There are several ways to order coffee in Vienna, from verkehrt (almost milk pale) to mocca (ebony black). Ordering einfach einen kaffee (just a coffee) is considered strange, and you will be asked to specify what type of coffee you would like. The safest choice is a large or small brauner, coffee with milk. If you have a sweet tooth, try kaffee mit schlagobers (coffee with whipped cream) or even doppelschlag (double whipped cream).

Outside of Vienna, coffee is also an important part of daily life in Austria. In fact, most of the coffee (88%) is consumed at home rather than in coffee houses. So, while visiting Austria's beautiful coffee houses is a must, you might also want to invest in a good coffee machine if you plan to socialise with locals at home.

Beer

Austria has a strong beer culture, with the average Austrian drinking over 100 litres of beer per year. The country boasts the highest density of breweries in Europe, with 298 active breweries producing a diverse range of beers.

Austrian beer is renowned for its high quality, and brewers must adhere to strict national food quality regulations. As a result, beer remains an entirely natural product, and it's challenging to find a bad beer in a typical store or bar. The most popular beers are full-bodied "continental" lagers from regional breweries, but there is also a growing craft beer scene.

Austria produces over 1,000 different beers, with a vast majority being Märzenbier, a full-bodied lager. However, you can also find Pils, Weizenbier (wheat beer), and other central European varieties, along with their organic versions. The standard beer varieties typically have an alcohol content between 4.8% and 5.2% by volume.

In Austria, beer is typically served in two sizes: a "Krügerl" or "Großes Bier," which is 500ml, and a "Seidel" or "Kleines Bier," which is 300ml. However, there are also extra-small and extra-large options available.

Some of the most popular Austrian beer brands include Stiegl, Zipfer, Gösser, and Ottakringer. Ottakringer is the local brew of Vienna and has its own craft beer range called BrauWerk. Other well-known brands include Wieselburger Bier, which has been popular since 1770, and Trappist beer, produced by Trappist monks in select monasteries.

Given the popularity of beer in Austria, it's no surprise that the country hosts several beer festivals throughout the year. These festivals showcase the diverse range of beers produced by large and small breweries, as well as international options. Notable festivals include the Wiener Bierfest, Ottakringer Bierfest, and Craft Bier Fest.

Wine

Austrian wines are known for their dry white wines, often made from the Grüner Veltliner grape, which covers 37% of the country's vineyards. This grape is predominantly grown in the Wachau Valley in Lower Austria, which is the country's largest wine-growing region. Other international grapes grown in Austria include Riesling.

Lower Austria is the country's biggest wine territory, with the regions between Mostviertel in the west of Vienna and Bucklige Welt in the southeast being well-known for their seasonal wine taverns, or "Most-Heurige". Here, the year's wine is served alongside a limited food selection in a simple and social setting. Bucklige Welt is particularly known for its apple must, a freshly pressed fruit juice made from grapes, which is the first step in winemaking.

Sturm is another variety of young Austrian wine that is still in the process of fermentation. It is made from white or red grapes and, according to Austrian wine law, can only be sold between August 1 and December 31, with a minimum alcohol content of 1%.

Spritzer, or G'spritzter, is a popular summer drink in Austria, traditionally made with white wine and soda or sparkling mineral water. It can be enjoyed as an aperitif, with a meal, or as a thirst quencher. A sweet version of the Spritzer is made by adding lemonade, and sometimes red wine is used instead of white. The Kaiserspritzer is a variation that includes elderberry syrup, and the Hugo-Spritzer is a less sweet version that includes fresh mint.

The Gumpoldskirchen wine from Lower Austria is the most famous Austrian wine, sold all over Vienna. The finest white wine in Austria is the Klosterneuburger, produced in an ancient abbey on the right bank of the Danube in Klosterneuburg, an outer district of Vienna. The Wachau district, west of Vienna, also produces fine, delicate wines, including the Loibner Kaiserwein and Duernsteiner Katzensprung, which are fragrant and fruity. The best red wine is considered to be the Vöslauer from Vöslau, and the best-known rosé is the Schilcher from Styria, which is slightly dry, fruity, and sparkling.

Soft drinks

While globally-known brands such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi are available in Austria, the country also has several of its own soft drinks.

Almdudler

Almdudler is a carbonated soft drink made with elderberry extract. It is one of the most popular soft drinks in Austria and has been around since 1957. It is inspired by the old Viennese dialect expression "auf der Alm dudeln", which means "yodelling on the meadows". It is available in several variations, including sweetened, light, and uncarbonated. It can also be mixed with soda water to create a spritz, with beer to make an Almradler, or with wine to make a spritz.

Lattella

Lattella is an Austrian fruit-dairy drink made from whey, which contains all the essential nutrients of milk, including valuable vitamins, proteins, and minerals. It is fat-free and comes in several different flavours. Lattella is marketed as a modern and conscious diet option that can be enjoyed at any time of the day.

Frucade

Frucade is an orange-flavoured lemonade produced in Austria.

Pago

Pago is another Austrian soft drink that comes in 39 different flavours.

Kracherl

Kracherl is a lemon or raspberry-flavoured soda produced in Austria.

Red Bull

Red Bull is one of the most famous exports of Austria. The company's headquarters is located in the town of Fuschl, about 90 minutes south of Linz.

Alcoholic drinks

Austria has a strong drinking culture, with the average Austrian drinking 12.5 litres of alcohol per year, which is 1.1 litres more than the EU average. The most common alcoholic drinks in Austria are beer and wine, but there are also some unique alcoholic drinks to discover.

Beer

Austria has the highest density of breweries in Europe, with 298 active breweries across the country. There are over 1000 different beers produced in total, and the quality is high. Austrian beers are brewed according to strict Bavarian Beer Purity Laws from the 16th century, which dictate that only water, malt, and hops can be used.

The most popular Austrian beer brands include Stiegl, Zipfer, Gösser, and Ottakringer. If you're in Vienna, make sure to try the local brew, Ottakringer, which has been produced in the city since the 1830s. Other popular options include Wieselburger Bier, which has been around since 1770, and Trappist beer, which is produced by monks in only 14 monasteries worldwide, one of which is in Austria.

Austrian beers come in a variety of sizes, including:

• Pfiff (200ml)
• Seidel or Kleines Bier (300ml)
• Krügerl or Großes Bier (500ml)
• Mass (1 litre)

Wine

Austria has been producing wine since 700 BC, and it is particularly well-known for its dry white wines made from the Grüner Veltliner grape. However, both red and white wines are produced in the country, and international grapes like Riesling are also grown. The four main wine-growing regions in Austria are Lower Austria, Burgenland, Styria, and Vienna, each producing a variety of red and white wines.

Some popular Austrian wines include:

• Gumpoldskirchen (Lower Austria)
• Klosterneuburger (Klosterneuburg)
• Loibner Kaiserwein and Duernsteiner Katzensprung (Wachau district)
• Vöslauer (best red wine)
• Schilcher (best rosé, from Styria)

Schnaps

Schnaps is a distilled spirit that is a must-try when visiting Austria. It is typically made from apricots, cherries, or pears and has a high alcohol content of above 30%. It is usually drunk straight as a digestif after a meal.

Seasonal Drinks

During the colder months, Austrians enjoy various hot alcoholic drinks, including Glühwein (mulled wine) and Jägertee (black tea with rum and festive spices).

Cocktails

Austria also has some unique cocktails, such as the Hugo Cocktail, made with prosecco, elderflower syrup, mint leaves, and ice, and the Aperol Spritz, made with Aperol, white wine, soda water, and a slice of orange.

Frequently asked questions