Dear Oliver,
For children or those who prefer alcohol-free drinks, kinder punch is routinely available as well as hot chocolate and cider in most locations. In most German and Austrian Christmas markets these hot drinks are served in special ceramic mugs designed by vendors in the various markets, local organizations, or the
city.
These mugs are decorated in local patterns and often have the city and year on the mug. In addition, German markets can feature stars that are specific to different towns or markets. Patrons pay a deposit for a mug filled with the hot drink of choice, then, they can either return the mug to receive the deposit back or keep the mug as a souvenir. It is very common for locals and visitors alike to have extensive holiday mug collections.
Patrons flock to these festive holiday Christmas markets to sample all sorts of local cuisine. They routinely eat savory and sweet treats at the markets, plus purchase cookies, cakes, and candies to take home. The nicest markets feature hand-made gift items and there is plenty of holiday shopping to tempt even the staunchest grinch. Following Austria and Germany, I headed on to Slovakia and Hungary where they seem to add many other hot drink choices to their menus. In Bratislava I picked up a couple additional mugs, but there I tried the ginger tea. It was a light, delicious way to keep warm - much different than the heavier glühwein. The vendor described the recipe to me saying they use grated fresh ginger, lemon, and honey, which is mixed into a paste. This paste can be made in advance and simply added to hot water creating the ginger tea. The result is very similar to your Oliver Pluff & Co. Ginger Tea, which I love to make
at home.
The next day in Budapest I also went beyond the various mulled wine and cider options and tried a delicious warm drink called Forro, which was a lovely fruit infused warm drink called “tea,” but it is strictly hot, mulled fruit water. I would highly recommend this beverage as it was refreshing and lightly sweet not syrupy. The ones I tried were topped with fresh sliced oranges.
Of course, the most interesting thing about European Christmas markets is that they are frequented by locals as well as international tourists. Especially if you go beyond the typical tourist routes, you can find many people enjoying their local events. These cold winter days and nights bring out friends and neighbors to gather and celebrate the season. It can be a magical experience to share this time in a place far from home.
