What People Drink in Salzburg: 6 Traditional Alcoholic Beverages That Define the City

Salzburg’s drinking culture is shaped by Alpine geography, the Salzach River, and centuries of monastic craft. The city’s breweries, farm distilleries, and seasonal markets reflect a cool climate where malty lagers, fruit brandies, and warming winter cups thrive.

From the fortress-topped old town to rural valleys near Hallein, people drink with the seasons: crisp lagers in leafy beer gardens, orchard schnaps after hearty meals, and spiced mugs in Advent squares. Tradition here is not staged—it’s a living part of daily life.

Founded in 1492, Stieglbrauerei zu Salzburg is the city’s best-known brewery, producing classic lagers such as Goldbräu (around 5% ABV). These beers use barley malt, noble hops, and Salzburg’s soft Alpine water, typically undergoing a multi-step mash and cool fermentation before cold maturation. The result is bright, malt-forward lager with fresh bread-crust notes, subtle floral bitterness, and a clean finish designed for food. Expect a gentle carbonation and a resilient white head in a half-liter Krügerl.

Lager here is everyday culture, not a special occasion drink. You’ll find it year-round at the Stieglkeller beer garden beneath the Hohensalzburg Fortress and at the Stiegl-Brauwelt in Maxglan, where tastings explain ingredients and methods. In warm months, locals pair it with schnitzel or a Brettljause (cold cuts and cheese); in cooler weather, the fuller malt profile remains comforting without heaviness. It is the benchmark sip for understanding Salzburg’s balance of tradition and precision.

At Augustiner Bräu Kloster Mülln (since 1621), beer service is a ritual. The house Märzen (typically around 4.6–5.0% ABV) is gravity-fed from wooden barrels, poured into stoneware steins that guests first rinse at a fountain—a cleansing and cooling step. Brewed with barley malt and noble hops, then lagered cold, the beer is malty, softly carbonated, and lightly herbal with a dry, moreish finish. The unhurried pour from wood softens edges and emphasizes grain character.

The experience matters as much as flavor: communal tables under chestnut trees, self-service food stalls (the Schmankerlgang), and clinking Steinkrüge in large halls. Locals drink this beer in late afternoons and evenings year-round, especially in summer when the spacious garden fills. It’s a direct link to Salzburg’s monastic brewing heritage, and a lesson in how serving method and vessel—stoneware, not glass—shape aroma and temperature for traditional lagers.

Obstler is a clear fruit brandy distilled from apples and pears, while Marillenschnaps focuses on apricots; both are staples of farm distilleries around Salzburg. Producers ferment crushed fruit, then double-distill in copper pot stills and rest the spirit in inert vessels to preserve freshness. Strength typically ranges from 35–45% ABV. A well-made Obstler is clean and orchard-fresh with a dry finish; Marillenschnaps leans toward ripe apricot, almond pit, and blossom notes.

These schnaps are digestifs, served in small tulip glasses at 16–20°C after hearty meals of pork, dumplings, or cheese. You’ll encounter them at alpine huts on the Gaisberg and in farm shops (Ab-Hof), as well as at the Grünmarkt on Universitätsplatz. Families often toast milestones with a round of schnaps, and producers proudly label the fruit variety and vintage. The spirits mirror local agriculture: cool nights concentrate aroma in apples, pears, and stone fruit grown along the Salzach and surrounding valleys.

Zirbenschnaps (often a liqueur at 30–35% ABV) is made by macerating sliced cones of the Arolla pine (Pinus cembra) in neutral alcohol, then lightly sweetening and resting. The cones, gathered from high Alpine elevations, lend a striking ruby or amber hue and a scent of resin, honeyed vanilla, and forest berries. Unlike a distilled fruit brandy, Zirben is an infusion—the goal is to capture the tree’s aromatics rather than concentrate them by distillation.

The taste is gently sweet but not cloying, with resinous depth and a warming finish that makes it a winter favorite. In Salzburg, you’ll find Zirbenschnaps at farmers’ markets, specialty shops, and après-ski style bars, and especially at Advent time. It’s sipped neat in small glasses after dinner or alongside a slice of nut torte. The drink speaks to Salzburg’s mountain identity, where timberlines and alpine pastures shape not only architecture and cheese but the spirits people bring down from the hills.

Sturm is partially fermented grape must from the current year’s harvest, served cloudy and still fermenting, usually in September and October. Because sugar is still converting to alcohol and CO₂, strength varies (roughly 4–10% ABV), bottles must be vented, and the flavor is frothy, yeasty, and sweetly grapey. Most, by contrast, is fully fermented apple or pear cider (about 5–7% ABV), dry to off-dry with orchard acidity and light tannin.

Both drinks are seasonal markers. In Salzburg, you’ll see white or red Sturm at harvest fairs like Rupertikirtag on the Domplatz, typically paired with roasted chestnuts. Most flows in country inns and at rustic Mostheurige around the Flachgau and lake districts, where it accompanies cold platters, smoked fish, or farmhouse bread with spreads. These beverages reflect the region’s mixed agriculture—vineyards to the east influence tradition, while Salzburg’s orchards and cool autumns make fresh cider a natural fit.

When temperatures drop, Salzburg turns to steaming cups. Glühwein is spiced wine—usually red, sometimes white—gently heated with cinnamon, clove, citrus peel, and sugar to around 70–80°C so alcohol remains (commonly 7–12% ABV). Punsch is richer: tea or fruit juice blended with citrus, spices, and a splash of rum for a deeper, caramel-spice warmth. Both drinks are aromatic, festive, and designed to be sipped outdoors.

You’ll find them in ceramic mugs at the Christkindlmarkt on Residenzplatz and Domplatz from late November through December. The ritual includes paying a small mug deposit (Pfand), warming your hands while listening to choirs, and pairing the drink with gingerbread or roasted almonds. Locals choose Glühwein for vinous spice and Punsch for a stronger, fuller-bodied cup. These winter warmers anchor Salzburg’s Advent season, emphasizing conviviality as much as flavor.