The main, most widely consumed beer style in Austria is Märzen, a crisp, light-golden to amber lager that holds roughly 60% of the market share. While many brands exist, Gösser is considered the most famous national brand, alongside major players like Stiegl, Ottakringer, and Zipfer.
Austrians drink as much beer per capita as do their German neighbors—roughly 1,00 l per year. The Austrians and Germans are surpassed only by the leading Czechs. The most popular beer style in Austria is “Austrian Märzen,” a filtered lager that holds about 60% market share.
Today, Almdudler has established itself as Austria's national drink. The original beverage is a sweetened drink made out of grape and apple juice concentrates and is flavored with 32 natural herbs. To some extent its taste can be compared to the taste of Ginger Ale but with a fruitier and sweeter flavor.
Generally speaking, beer and wine are the most popular alcoholic drinks in Austria. That said, each region has its own preference. Lower Austria, for instance, is home to the country's biggest wine territory and produces a variety of different wines.
Vienna-Style Lager. Vienna Lager ranges from copper to reddish brown in color. The beer is characterized by malty aroma and slight malt sweetness. The malt aroma and flavor should have a notable degree of toasted and/or slightly roasted malt character. Hop bitterness is low to medium-low.
Ordering “ein großes Bier” will usually mean a half litre (slightly less than an Imperial pint, but more than a US pint), and this measure is also locally referred to as a Krügerl. The other most frequent measure is that of a small beer “ein kleines Bier” – known as a Seidl – 0.3l.
According to the OECD, 33% of adults engage in binge drinking at least once a month. Additionally, Austrians average 11.97 liters of pure alcohol a year.
The 1-2-3 drinking rule is a moderation guideline: no more than 1 drink per hour, 2 drinks per occasion, and 3 alcohol-free days per week, helping to pace consumption and reduce risk, though it's important to know that no level of alcohol is completely risk-free, and other guidelines (like the 0-1-2-3 rule or official dietary recommendations) also exist. A "standard drink" is key: 12 oz regular beer, 5 oz wine, or 1.5 oz spirits, and it's crucial to avoid mixing alcohol with medications or while driving.
Between 1984 and 1987, Red Bull GmbH reformulated Krating Daeng to suit European tastes by adding carbonation and reducing sweetness. The resulting product was launched in Austria in 1987 under the name Red Bull.
There's no single "number one beer" as it depends on the region and metric (sales, popularity, ratings), but globally, Snow Beer (China) leads by volume due to sheer population, while in the US, Modelo Especial is often cited as the top seller by value, and in the UK, Stella Artois or Birra Moretti compete for top sales, with Guinness being hugely popular. For ratings, craft beers dominate, like those found on BeerAdvocate.
The "number one selling beer" depends on the region, but recently Michelob Ultra became the top-selling beer in the U.S. by volume, dethroning Modelo Especial, while Tsingtao leads in China by volume, and Stella Artois or Carling are often top sellers in the UK. Global sales are complex, with large markets in China and the U.S., but local favorites dominate.
Over 300 breweries in the country produce more than 1,000 different beers in total. The biggest brands in Vienna include Ottakringer, Stiegl, Zipfer and Gösser, but you find plenty of small and private breweries and specialty beers, too, none of which should disappoint the discerning beer palate.
Myth 3: Drinking hard liquor is worse than drinking beer or wine. Contrary to popular belief, the type of alcohol you drink doesn't make a difference – what matters is how much you drink. "The safe limit is fixed at 14 units a week," explains Dr Lui. "Below this limit, alcoholic fatty liver is less likely to occur.
In Austria, the possession and consumption of open containers of alcohol is legal throughout the country by people of the legal drinking age. The legal drinking age depends on the beverage in question: 16 for beer and wine and 18 for distilled spirits and mixed drinks.
A post-meal Stamperl, i.e. a shot of schnapps, can also be ordered as a digestif if required. Mostly different kinds of fruit schnapps. Anyone looking for a particularly refreshing option – whether at a wine tavern or elsewhere – should ask for a “Weisser Spritzer”, which is half white wine, half carbonated water.
Austrian supermarkets are generally well-stocked with good ranges of fresh and dried groceries. You can also buy alcohol in Austrian supermarkets, and most have an in-store bakery for all those local delicacies.
Some places might leave a running bill with you, but it's not usual to put the money on the table and disappear; you normally pay the waiting staff in person, though one or two places may send you to a cash desk. It's fine for each guest to pay separately for what they've consumed.
May I have a Guinness, please? The bartender(2) will certainly understand what you mean if you just say the name of the beer. However, if you want to eliminate any chance of confusion, just use the word glass.
concerning the admission to certain clubs and bars it depends on how the owners have set their rules. there is places you can go 16 and up, 18 and up or 21 and up. there most of the time is a sign at the entrance.
