One of the picture-postcard scenes of Vienna in the Advent period is a group of friends standing round a bar table at an open-air market, each clutching a mug of Christmas punch (German: Weihnachtspunsch).
- Hot alcoholic beverage served in numerous varieties
- Non-alcoholic versions available
- A genuine Viennese Christmas experience
- You also pay a deposit for the mug
- Most markets have a collectible mug
- Book a classical concert experience* for your trip
- See also:
Weihnachtspunsch
(Market booth selling Weihnachtspunsch)
Any trip to one of Vienna’s famous Christmas markets is incomplete without the obligatory draft of Weihnachtspunsch and perhaps some roast chestnuts. And pastries. And possibly sausages.
Those markets form an integral part of the seasonal tapestry of Viennese life. You see many locals meeting there after work to wind down and chat while wrapped in wreathes of steam from mugs of liquid yuletide cheer.
You may also find the drink sold from standalone booths on public squares and in pedestrianised areas during the Christmas season. Many of these pop-up booths raise money for charity.
So be reassured that this particular Viennese tradition is entirely authentic and not a gimmick for visitors. Though the latter often enjoy a mug to close a day of sightseeing or start their evening activities.
What’s in Weihnachtspunsch?
(Mugs of punch at the previous market on Stephansplatz)
The punch you get at the Christmas markets (and those that continue into the New Year) is served hot and often rather sweet.
Quite what’s in the drink depends on who you talk to. I’ve yet to work it out, frankly, despite considerable research effort.
The two most common alternatives behind the mystery appear to be:
- A combination of tea, spices, sugar and spirits (particularly rum and/or brandy)
- A version of Glühwein (mulled wine). You also find Glühwein itself sold from the same booths, as in the photo at the top of this article
If you prefer to steer clear of alcohol, but still want the Weihnachtspunsch experience, simply try a non-alcoholic version. The latter may be labelled Kinderpunsch (literally “Children’s Punch”) or alkoholfrei (“alcohol free”).
In recent years, the variety of Weihnachtspunsch flavours seems to have exploded.
When I first arrived in Vienna over 30 years ago, you essentially had one option: punch. Now we have all sorts of mostly fruit-themed alternatives: from the obvious (orange, raspberry, etc.) to the exotic (e.g. mango) and the obscure (e.g. cranberry and elderflower).
To learn more about the vernacular of punch and other delights at the markets, see this glossary.
The mug tradition
(Mugs from a previous market at Belvedere)
When you order a mug of punch, the price you pay is higher than advertised on the side of the market booth. Relax…the money you hand over includes a deposit for the mug itself, which you get back when (if) you return it.
I expect this deposit to be somewhere around €5 at most markets in 2025.
The Christkindlmarkt on the Rathausplatz and many other Christmas markets tend to have their own unique mug design, and the motifs commonly change each year.
As a result, people often treat the mugs as collectibles or souvenirs, and hold on to them for posterity. Doing so is a perfectly acceptable practice (and also why they charge the deposit).
These days, many markets even sell the mugs separately at an information stand or a dedicated mug booth.
So, to summarise…a mug of punch certainly counts as an authentic and typical Christmas endeavour in Vienna. For more of the latter, try my suggested Advent activities for visitors.