Punsch
DrinkNov to Dec
Punsch suits anyone at an Austrian market who wants a hot drink with more fruit and spirit than wine, and the trade-off is that no rule fixes the recipe, so every stand's cup tastes different. Vienna is where to try it, with the Zirbenpunsch at Am Hof as the local signature.
Where to eat Punsch
- Vienna Christmas market Am HofVienna
The market's own Zirbenpunsch has been poured here since 1999.
- Vienna Stephansplatz Christmas marketVienna
This MAGMAG market charges a deposit on every punch and hot drink, and selected huts sell the 2026 red glass boot mug.
- Vienna Weihnachtszauber on SchwarzenbergplatzVienna
MAGMAG's newest market lists Punsch with Glühwein, Maroni and fried potatoes.
- Graz Mehlplatz Advent marketGraz
Graz Tourismus points to the punch stands here for their unusual blends.
Punsch takes its name from pā̃c, the Hindi word for five, after the five ingredients of the original drink. English sailors of the East India Company met it in India and brought it to Europe in the 17th century. The classic mix was arrack, sugar, lemons, tea or water and spices, and today rum, brandy, wine or fruit juice stand in. German law sets no recipe for Punsch, so a stand can put almost anything in the pot.
Vienna and Salzburg came to it late. German Wikipedia says the drink was still unknown there when the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart met it on a trip to England in 1764, and his father Leopold wrote home describing water, rum, sugar and lemons boiled together. Austria, Czechia and Germany now pour Punsch beside Glühwein and Jagertee at their Christmas markets.
In Vienna, Punsch is the drink to hold. The market Am Hof created its Zirbenpunsch, flavoured with Swiss stone pine, in 1999, and its own history page says people laughed at it at first and that it has since won over visitors who don't like sweet drinks. For 2026 the MAGMAG markets serve punch in their red boot-shaped mug, made of glass for the first time. Graz Tourismus sends you to the Mehlplatz, where the punch stands try unusual recipes.
Worth knowing
- Try the Zirbenpunsch at Am Hof if you find punch too sweet.
- Ask for Kinderpunsch for children, or Autofahrerpunsch if you're driving.
Quick answers about Punsch
What is the difference between Punsch and Glühwein?
Glühwein is spiced hot wine with a minimum strength set in German law. Punsch is a hot mixed drink of fruit juice, tea, sugar and spice with rum, wine or another spirit, and no rule fixes its recipe.
What is Zirbenpunsch?
Zirbenpunsch is a punch flavoured with Swiss stone pine, created in 1999 at the Christmas market Am Hof in Vienna.
How do you order Punsch?
Read the board first, since Viennese stands pour several punches and each has its own name. You pay a deposit on the mug with the drink, and the MAGMAG markets in Vienna put one on every punch and hot drink. Hand the mug back for the deposit or keep it as a souvenir. Ask for Kinderpunsch for children, which has no alcohol.
When is Punsch in season?
Punsch: Advent markets in Austria from mid-November, with Vienna's Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz open to 26 December 2026.