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    Home » Christmas in Germany » German Christmas Food

    German Christmas Drinks You Need To Try

    Published: Nov 30, 2022 by Angela Schofield · Leave a Comment

    16 Popular German Christmas Drinks That You Need to Try

    Every year in Germany, people look forward to the time when they can enjoy delicious, gluhwein with family and friends. But mulled wine is not the only drink that Germans like to enjoy during the Advent time and Christmas season.

    German Winter & Christmas Market Drinks – more than Glühwein

    If you look around the stalls at traditional German Christmas markets, you'll find not only the famous mulled wine but also a host of specialty drinks that couldn't be more different. Sometimes these have funny names. For example, there's Tote Tante (dead aunt), heiße Oma (hot granny) or Jagertee (hunter's tea) - sounds funny, but they all taste great!

    Woman drinking gluhwein at a German Christmas market.

    I have compiled a Top 15 list of the most popular German Christmas beverages for you.

    Jump to:
    • German Winter & Christmas Market Drinks – more than Glühwein
    • 1. “Glühwein” German Mulled Wine
    • 2. „Kinderpunsch“ Children´s Punch - Non Alcoholic Gluhwein
    • 3. Glühbier Mulled Beer
    • 4. Grog
    • 5. "Jagertee" Boozy Tea Specialty
    • 6. “Heisser Hugo” Hot Elder-Flower Punch
    • 7. „Tote Tante“ Hot Chocolate with Rum
    • 8. "Pharisäer" German Coffee With Rum And Whipped Cream
    • 9. “Heiße Oma” German Style Eggnog
    • 10. “Eierpunsch” Hot Egg Punch
    • 11. “Heiße Schokolade” Hot Chocolate with Winter Spices
    • 12. „Feuerzangenbowle“ German Mulled Wine Specialty
    • 13. “Bowle” German Boozy Fruit Punch
    • 14. „Verdauungsschnaps“ Fruit or Herb Spirit
    • 15. „Eierlikör“ German Egg Liquer aka Advocaat
    • 16. „Kaffee & Tee“ Coffee & Tea

    1. “Glühwein” German Mulled Wine

    Three kinds of gluhwein on a black table with Christmas decoration.

    Glühwein is the German version of mulled wine. At German Christmas markets, in addition to the classic red mulled wine, you can also find many different variations of the delicious hot drink, such as white wine & orange mulled wine, blueberry gluhwein or baked apple gluhwein and many more.

    Tradtional German Gluhwein Recipe

    White Wine Orange Gluhwein Recipe

    Blueberry Gluhwein Recipe

    2. „Kinderpunsch“ Children´s Punch - Non Alcoholic Gluhwein

    Kinderpunsch, German non-alcoholic gluhwein in two glass mugs and a large glass pitcher.

    Kinderpunsch "Children's punch" is a great alternative to mulled wine - not only for the little ones, but for everyone who wants to do without alcohol. For the alcohol-free children's punch, you put fruit tea in a pot, add fruit juice, as well as cinnamon, cloves, vanilla and sugar. Everything is mixed well and heated briefly.

    Kinderpunsch Non-Alcoholic Gluhwein Recipe

    3. Glühbier Mulled Beer

    Mulled beer, also known as glühbier, is the perfect winter drink for beer lovers. Enjoy the warmth of this traditional German drink, made with your favorite beer, spices, honey and a secret ingredient. Its unique blend of flavors is a perfect way to ward off the cold winter chill. So grab a mug, sit back, relax and enjoy a delicious mulled beer this winter season.

    Two mugs of Glühbier and a bottle of mulled beer in Christmas decoration.

    Mulled Beer aka Glühbier Recipe

    4. Grog

    Grog in two glass mugs with a cinnamon stick on a wooden board in Christmas decoration.

    A hot grog is a hearty treat in a social gathering after a long winter walk. Grog is a mixed drink of rum, water and sugar, which is usually drunk very hot. The old saying "rum must, sugar may, water can" sets the tone. In the north, around Flensburg, grog is drunk all year round, but everywhere else it is reserved for the cold season and, along with Jagertee and Glühwein, it is one of the classics at the Christmas market.

    5. "Jagertee" Boozy Tea Specialty

    Jagertee in Christmas decoration on a dark wooden board.

    The legendary hot drink from Austria is a mixture of black tea, red wine, rum and/or Obstler (German fruit spirit) and a few spices. It warms in the cold winter season and is therefore also very popular with the Germans during the Christmas season and especially at the ski-lodges.

    6. “Heisser Hugo” Hot Elder-Flower Punch

    Hot hugo Christmas drink in a glass mug on a wooden board. Decoration of mint, lemon and cinnamon.

    The "Hugo" is a popular drink in Germany, and not just in the summer. Germans love the taste so much that a winter variant has also become established. A welcomed change from the traditional winter flavors found in most wintertime drinks. It is prepared with white wine, elder-flower syrup, lemon and mint and served hot instead of on ice like the summer version of the drink.

    7. „Tote Tante“ Hot Chocolate with Rum

    German Christmas drink called Tote Tante on a wooden board with cinnamon stars.
    German style eggnog with whipping cream

    "Tote Tante" (dead aunt) belongs to the German wintertime and is especially popular in the northern parts of Germany. This hot chocolate drink flavored with alcohol. It has many names and there are many variations. Some recipes call for Amaretto or kirsch. But the traditional "Tote Tante" is made with rum!

    8. "Pharisäer" German Coffee With Rum And Whipped Cream

    Hot pharisäer coffee with a topping of whipped cream. Coffee pot and coffee beans in a glass in the background.

    If you love coffee drinks, this Frisian coffee specialty with rum drink and a generous dollop of whipped cream is a great choice. Pharisee coffee has a neat little story to it, that is a great story to tell at you next Kaffeeklatsch. You can find the background story and the German Coffee Recipe here.

    9. “Heiße Oma” German Style Eggnog

    Hot Oma German Christmas eggnog in a glass mug.

    Another delicious hot drink is the German Christmas time is called "Heiße Oma" (hot grandma). A simple recipe that tastes wonderful. Die "Heiße Oma" consists of whole milk, sugar and delicious Eierlikör.

    10. “Eierpunsch” Hot Egg Punch

    German eggnog with whipped cream in a glass with small bottles of egg liqueur in the background.

    "Eierpunsch" egg punch is like "Heiße Oma" similar to eggnog but made with white wine and orange juice instead of milk.

    11. “Heiße Schokolade” Hot Chocolate with Winter Spices

    German hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, candies peanuts and caramel sauce in Christmas decoration.

    A creamy hot chocolate, spiced with ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and maybe even a little pinch of chili. Served with or without a whipped cream topping, it's guaranteed to warm you up wonderfully after a long winter walk. 

    12. „Feuerzangenbowle“ German Mulled Wine Specialty

    Feuerzangebowle in the dark.

    The winter season has barely begun and it's time for "Feuerzangenbowle" again! Of course, you can buy it at the Christmas market in Germany. However, it is even nicer to simply make the "Feuerzangenbowle" in your cozy home.

    The most important ingredients for an original "Feuerzangenbowle" are rum with at least 54% alcohol by volume, red wine and a sugar hat, a tall cone of white, refined sugar. Depending on the recipe, spices such as cinnamon, cloves and star anise as well as orange and lemon are essential for the taste of this lovely drink.

    13. “Bowle” German Boozy Fruit Punch

    German Christmas punch in glasses with orange slices and cranberries.

    he 50s and 60s, "Bowle" was THE popular party drink. And even today, the delicious drink that consists of wine, champagne, fruit and sometimes spirits is enjoyed in the summer at barbecues, but also to the winter festivities. 

    14. „Verdauungsschnaps“ Fruit or Herb Spirit

    German Schnapps on a wooden board, plumbs in the background.

    Obstler or Obstwasser (German fruit brandy) and Korn or Schnaps (schnapps) are often served as digestifs. The digestif, or digestive liquor, is the crowning finale of any Christmas dinner with the family. It is the counterpart to the aperitif, which is served before the meal, and is supposed to boost digestion. Science cannot confirm this, but who would like to give up a wonderful custom that is so tasty.

    15. „Eierlikör“ German Egg Liquer aka Advocaat

    German Eierlikör in small glasses in Christmas star decoration.

    The classic Eierlikör is popular all year round, but especially popular during the Christmas season. Whether straight, in a cake recipe or in a dessert, the sweet liqueur always tastes delicious.

    Egg liqueur traditionally consists of alcohol, egg yolk and sugar and has about 20% alcohol content. You can find Verpoorten Advocaat (the most popular brand of Eierlikör) in all German supermarkets, it is harder to get in the United States. But this that not a problem, as you can easily make it yourself.

    16. „Kaffee & Tee“ Coffee & Tea

    Pouring hot tea into a white cup.

    A good cup of coffee or tea is often served with a delicious dessert after the Christmas meal. Germans are known worldwide as coffee drinkers, but tea is also enjoyed in German households. Especially in the north, the so-called "Friesentee" (Frisian tea) is very popular.

    And of course, coffee and tea are also enjoyed during the famous German coffee hour, traditionally celebrated at around 4 pm, and enjoyed with German Christmas cookies or Stollen aka German Christmas bread during the Holiday season.

    More German Christmas Food

    • Mulled Beer German Glühbier Recipe
    • 38 Traditional German Christmas Desserts
    • German Rum Balls - Rumkugeln
    • German Christmas Recipes Advent Calendar 2022

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    Guten Tag, I'm Angela,
    Herzlich willkommen! I'm glad you've stopped by.

    It is a joy to share with you some of my all-time favorite authentic German recipes and tell you a little bit about the cultural background of my home country, Germany.

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