One of my favorite things to do when we travel is to explore the local drinks situation (alcoholic and not). I could spend hours in the local grocery/wine/liquor store just studying the shelves. Ken is not as enthusiastic about this activity, so I usually send him off to climb a mountain or something.

When we’re traveling, I post my little travelogues on the go and off the cuff. Instagram only allows 2,200 characters per post, so I have to be stingy with words. Maybe that’s a good thing. 😉 One of the reasons I started this blog is so I could take a pause after our trips, and look at something(s) more in depth.Like the local drinks situation.

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Without further delay, here is my guide to drinking in Salzburg and Munich:

Bier

There is no better sip of beer than your first sip of bier when you’re in Germany/Austria. It just hits different. Ahhhhh. I only rarely drink beer at home, so when we’re in Germany/Austria (and all of Europe, really), it’s a priority beverage.

Fun fact: Austria ranks behind only the Czech Republic in global beer consumption. Germany is #7 on that list, which was a surprise to me. The US? Doesn’t even crack the top 30.

Radler

Radler is the Bavarian version of a sports drink. It was invented in the 1920s by an innkeeper named Franz Kugler. As the story goes, a large group of very tired and very thirsty cyclists arrived at his tavern, and Franz realized he didn’t have enough beer for everyone (egad!). So, he decided to stretch his supply by adding sparkling lemonade to the kegs. He called his drink Radler, which is the Bavarian (German) word for cyclist.

For as much as I enjoy beer in Germany/Austria, after about 5 days, I’m bier-ed out. That’s when I switch to Radlers. They are both delicious and low in alcohol, so pretty much a hydration beverage.

I’m starting to see more and more bottled/canned versions of Radlers here in the US. I can usually find the Stiegl Radler. Delicious, but not as delicious as a Radler mixed from the tap in Bavaria.

Wine

I don’t generally drink much wine when we’re in Bavaria. I’m mostly focused on beer (and Radlers). We did enjoy this outstanding Austrian Riesling at Mozart’s opera one evening.

Schnaps

The word schnaps refers to a whole family of distilled fruit (usually plum, cherry, pear, apricot) brandies. Most are clear in color, but some are aged in wood and pick up a darker hue. German/Austrian Schnaps is very dry and very strong, and absolutely nothing like American schnapps. Here in the US, we have the regrettable cultural tradition of peach schnapps, which, btw, is one of my kryptonite beverages. Thanks, college.

Schnaps has a long history in Germany & Austria – probably dating back to the Middle Ages, when it was used for medicinal purposes. Ken’s oma used to break this stuff out after almost every meal because, “it’s good for digestion.” Sounds counter-intuitive, but I honestly think here’s something to it. Downing a shot of schnaps after a heavy meal sets off some kind of tiny bomb in your stomach, and suddenly, you feel less heavy and less full.  I can’t explain why this works, only that it does. Schnaps should become part of American Thanksgiving.

I found a wonderful store in Salzburg that sold almost exclusively Schnaps. The proprietor was extremely knowledgeable, and I walked out with some goooood stuff.

Coffee

The Germans/Austrians make a pretty good cup of coffee. But I’m not a coffee connoisseur. I drink one cup of coffee a day – in the morning. I wish I was a sit outside at a cute cafe and sip on a coffee in the afternoon kind of person, but the caffeine would keep me up all night. And I don’t trust decaf coffee in cafes.

Exception: Eiscaffe. A scoop of vanilla ice cream with coffee poured on top of it. This may turn me into a sit outside at a cute cafe in the afternoon kind of girl. Who needs sleep?

Almdudler

Apparently, Alsmdudler is the national drink of Austria. Huh. I thought beer was the national drink of Austria. Anyway, Almsdudler is a blend of grape juice, apple juice, and 32 natural alpine herbs. Tastes like a lemony, herbal ginger ale. OK, but not something I would ever seek out. Especially if I have the choice to buy a Fanta Lemon.

Sparkling Apple Juice

Every chance I get. This is pretty much my water when we’re in Europe.

Fanta Lemon & Coca-Cola Zero Lemon

I’m starting to see a trend here. I really like lemon flavored soft drinks. And you can’t get either in the US. I’m always disappointed when I have to settle for Fanta orange, but it’s not a deal-breaker for me.

Sidebar rant: I cannot stand the new European plastic bottle tops. You know, the ones that you cannot remove unless you have a chainsaw. There is a (relatively) new EU regulation that requires all plastic bottle caps to stay tethered to bottles after opening. This is supposed to reduce the use of single use plastics – by annoying you into using reusable containers. I get the intent, but the stupid tethered cap hits your face every time you take a drink. And if there’s a few drops of beverage in the cap when you take a drink, your face is now wet. Also, I can’t tell if the top is actually ON all the way and then it spills all over my bag. OK, I’m done now.

Prost!