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FOOD AND DRINK

5 things you need to know about Austrian Glühwein

It's that time of year again when the delicious drink Glühwein will be on sale at Christmas markets and in bars all over the country. Here's what you need to know about the traditional winter beverage.

Published: 1 December 2023 11:23 CET
Updated: 15 December 2023 14:05 CET
5 things you need to know about Austrian Glühwein
5 things you need to know about Austrian Glühwein Photo by Alina Belogolova on Unsplash

1. It existed before Christmas markets

Nowadays, sipping a hot mug of Glühwein is mostly associated with a visit to a traditional Austrian or German Christmas market, which might make you think that it was an invention of wine stand operators.

However, though Austrian and German Christmas markets have been around for nearly 600 years, some form of mulled wine has been a popular winter beverage since Roman times.

READ ALSO: When do Austria’s famous Christmas markets open this year?

The Romans had their own special recipe for Glühwein which combined wine with honey and spices such as pepper, bay leaf, saffron and dates.

The oldest documented consumption of Glühwein can be traced back to Count John IV of Katzenelnbogen, a German nobleman who was the first grower of Riesling grapes in the 15th century. Archaeologists found a special silver plated cup dating from 1420 which he used to sip the sweet and spicy drink.

READ ALSO: What are the best Christmas markets in Austria according to the locals?

2. Don’t overstep the 80C mark

When making your own batch of Glühwein at home – you’ll want to make sure that your ingredients – wine (red or white), sugar, cinnamon, cloves, lemon, orange and star anise – are simmering away at a temperature of no more than 80C.

A cup of mulled wine – or Glühwein – served at a Vienna Christmas market. (Photo by Alisa Anton on Unsplash)

Above 80C the alcohol evaporates, which is detrimental to the taste and causes the sugar to degrade. The ideal temperature for your Glühwein is between 72C and 73C and the perfect colour is a deep red. 

Vienna Christmas markets: the dates and locations for 2023

3. It literally means ‘Glow wine’

The Glüh part of the word for this drink – which sounds a bit like the English word “glue” – comes from the German verb glühen meaning “to glow”.

The origin of the word Glühwein goes back hundreds of years when hot irons were used to heat the wine. It might help you to remember the meaning of the word by looking at the glowing cheeks of your friends while drinking a cup of the hot alcoholic drink.

IN PICTURES: A guide to the main Christmas markets in Austria

4. You can make it without alcohol (or with even more)

To make a non-alcoholic version of Glühwein – or Kinderpunsch (children’s punch) as it’s commonly referred to in German – you can replace the wine with a mixture of fruit tea, apple and orange juice. 

If you want to go the other way and make a Glühwein mit Schuss (mulled wine with a shot), you can add a dash of rum or amaretto to your cup full of Glühwein just before drinking. 

READ ALSO: How to celebrate Christmas like an Austrian

5. Glühwein makes you merry faster

Alcoholic hot drinks get you drunk faster, as their high temperature ensures that the alcohol enters the bloodstream more quickly and easily. Sugar also promotes alcohol absorption, so a cup of mulled wine will go to your head much more quickly than a glass of normal wine.

READ ALSO: Eight unmissable Christmas experiences in Austria

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WHAT'S ON IN VIENNA

What’s open and what’s closed on Ascension Day in Austria?

On Thursday it is Ascension Day, or Christi Himmelfahrt in German, one of the many May public holidays this year. Here is what is going on in and around the capital, and what will be closed.

Published: 6 May 2024 14:11 CEST
Updated: 8 May 2024 16:25 CEST
What’s open and what’s closed on Ascension Day in Austria?

This year, Ascension Day, or Christi Himmelfahrt, a national holiday in Austria, falls on May 9th. Many people working in Austria take the holiday as an opportunity to enjoy a longer weekend by also taking Friday off.

Ascension Day is a Christian celebration that honours the belief that Jesus ascended into heaven. It takes place 40 days after Easter Sunday and always falls on a Thursday. According to Christian tradition, this day signifies the end of Jesus’ time on Earth and his return to heaven.

In Austria, Ascension Day is marked by different local traditions. Villages host processions, and in rural areas, people walk through fields during the “days of supplication,” usually on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays. These processions have been part of the tradition since the sixth century.

Many churches all over Austria hold special masses to celebrate the day. In some, the occasion is celebrated with a custom where a statue of the resurrected Jesus is pulled through a hole in the ceiling and up into the church’s attic.

READ ALSO: Everything that changes in Austria in May 2024

What is happening in and around Vienna?

Ascension Day offers a great opportunity to spend some relaxed time with friends and family. If you want to follow tradition, you can enjoy some poultry, which is typical to eat in Austria on this day.

If you live in Vienna, you can spend the holiday exploring some of the events taking place in the city.

The day marks the start of the Steffl Kirchtag festival (May 9th to 20th), held at Stephansplatz in the heart of the city. Here, you can find arts and crafts, stalls offering food and drinks, music, performances, and concerts.

If you want to enjoy some culture, you should check out the many interesting exhibitions and festivals currently happening in Vienna.

For example, the exhibition Smart World at the Vienna Museum of Technology is open for visitors and explores how artificial intelligence is changing our world. The ongoing festival Klima Biennale Wien is also open to the public and focuses on climate change through various exhibitions and performances.

If you are interested in enjoying a musical, the first performance of The Sound of Music at the Vienna Volksoper is scheduled for this day.

You can also celebrate the occasion and the morning off by enjoying the night before at the Gürtel Connection. This event takes place in 14 different bars along the Gurtel, the major avenue surrounding the inner city. The evening offers 50 different gigs and performances and you can spend as much as you like on the entry.

Most bars open their doors around 7pm and you can find out more about the event on their website.

If you instead want to spend time in nature without going too far away from the city, enjoying the day in the Vienna Woods, Wiener Wald, is a great idea. If you want to do some exercise while enjoying great views, you can explore some of the many city hikes, known as Stadtwanderweg, which you can read more about here.  

If you are up for a slightly longer journey, you can reach many interesting places with a short train ride. You can explore some great destinations to visit here.

 
 
 
 
 
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READ ALSO: 4 beautiful lakes you can easily reach from Vienna by public transport

What will be closed?

As Ascension Day is a public holiday in Austria, banks, post offices, supermarkets, and general medical practices will be closed. Most pharmacies will also be closed, except for those functioning as emergency pharmacies, which will remain open during the holiday. You can find a list of these pharmacies here.

Hospital emergency departments will be open if you need medical care. Additionally, each region offers a holiday on-call service (Wochenend—und Feiertagsbereitschaftsdienst) if you prefer not to go to the hospital. You can call 141 for medical services during holidays, such as a doctor’s visit or to obtain certain medications.

Public Transport

During the holiday, public transport will continue operating in Vienna and all over Austria, although sometimes with a reduced timetable, similar to that on Sundays.

In Vienna, trams, metros, and buses run with slightly reduced timetables. Here you find more information on the timetable for different lines, click here.

Mainline train services often run with a near-normal timetable. You can check out the timetable for ÖBB here.

READ NEXT: Eleven unmissable events in Austria in May 2024

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