Christmas Markets in Vienna and Munich

Christmas Markets in Vienna and Munich

  ‘Tis the Season   If you’ve spent even a few days in Germany or Austria around this time of year, you’ll have developed an opinion about the weather. Rain, sleet, mist. Steel-grey skies you could reach up and touch. What daylight there is fades 

“A Heavenly Drink, Like Concentrated Sunshine”: Vienna Lager Past and Present

“A Heavenly Drink, Like Concentrated Sunshine”: Vienna Lager Past and Present

A few years back, the beer world came together to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reinheitsgebot (Beer Purity Law) promulgated in 1516. The atmosphere across Bavaria was festive. Breweries touted the Reinheitsgebot during their tours, museums staged exhibitions about the edict’s history, and beer 

Vienna Lager: Ten Beers to Try in Austria’s Capital

Vienna Lager: Ten Beers to Try in Austria’s Capital

What began life as a rough-and-ready list of Vienna Lagers to accompany “A Heavenly Drink, Like Concentrated Sunshine: Vienna Lager Past and Present” has morphed into something more than that. Below you’ll read about beer names that evoke colourful characters and aspects of Viennese history. 

The Setting Sun: Five of Vienna’s Best Spots for a Late Summer Beer

The Setting Sun: Five of Vienna’s Best Spots for a Late Summer Beer

A colleague of mine at the Wien Museum (Vienna’s city history museum) asked me over lunch today about some of my favourite places to have a beer in Vienna. It was a fitting question. He had recently participated in a learn-to-brew day at Brauwerk and 

Beer for a Day: Living the Good Life in Salzburg

Beer for a Day: Living the Good Life in Salzburg

It’s been awhile. Blame Vienna. It’s not the first time I’ve done so over the course of the past eighteen months. Rather than sit here and tell you about all the cool stuff I’ve got in the works, I thought I’d dash off a quick 

Autumn in a Glass: Märzen, Oktoberfest Beer, and Vienna Lager

Autumn in a Glass: Märzen, Oktoberfest Beer, and Vienna Lager

  ~Confused about the difference between a Märzen, a Festbier, an Oktoberfest Märzen, and a Vienna Lager? “Autumn in a Glass” has you covered.~   As the leaves in the beer gardens begin to don their autumnal attire and the evenings hint of the harvest, 

The Colour of Fall Leaves: Tasting Notes on Märzen, Oktoberfestbier, and Vienna Lager

The Colour of Fall Leaves: Tasting Notes on Märzen, Oktoberfestbier, and Vienna Lager

Wondering about the differences between Märzen, Oktoberfest Beer, and Vienna Lager? Check out “Autumn in a Glass: Märzen, Oktoberfest Beer, and Vienna Lager” before cracking open your first beer in this four-pack of Central European beers. a) Märzen Märzen is a malt-lover’s dream. Depending on 

A Beer Garden in Vienna’s Wine Country

A Beer Garden in Vienna’s Wine Country

Last time we met I was drinking a Czech Budweiser under the chestnut canopy in the Alsergrund section of the Schweizerhaus. Today we’re going to head to the village-like atmosphere in the north of the city where the Vienna Woods begin. In Part III we’ll 

Exploring Vienna’s Beer Gardens

Exploring Vienna’s Beer Gardens

Vienna, city of music. Home to Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Strauss, and Mahler. Vienna, a showcase of architectural styles from the soaring Gothic-era Stephansdom to the Baroque opulence of the Karlskirche, and from elegant Ringstrasse historicism to the fin-de-siècle modernism of Otto Wagner. Vienna’s pastries rival