142 CultureShock! AustriaPerchtoldsdorf, south of Vienna, or Stammersdorf, north
of the city in the 21st district. Outside of Vienna, there are
wonderful Heurigen in the Wachau valley, Weinviertel, Styria
and other wine-producing areas.Other Alcoholic Beverages
Salzburg is famous for its Stiegl brewery and beer. Another
popular beer is Gösser. However, it is not ranked among
the best in the region. If you are a beer drinker, you might
prefer the excellent Budweiser (the original Budweiser beer,
not to be confused with the beer made by Anheuser-Busch
in the United States), or Pilsen from the nearby Czech
Republic. If you do want to try the local beer, be sure to
specify if you want it vom Fass
(draught) or in eine Flasche (in a
bottle). When ordering beer vom
Fass, you will be asked to decide
between ein kleines (small) and
ein grosses (large).
Austrians do drink hard liquor,
and Schnaps is by far their
favourite. Schnaps is incredibly
strong liquor made from just
about anything from fruits to
herbs. The most popular are made from apples, plums, pears
and apricots. Schnaps are normally served after a hearty meal
and should not be sipped but downed quickly.Supermarkets
There is no shortage of supermarkets. Traditionally,
Austrians purchase groceries in small quantities daily, so
every neighbourhood has at least one small store. This
turns out to be very convenient because the opening hours
are limited. Supermarkets close between 6:00 pm and
7:30 pm on weekdays, and at 5:00 pm on Saturdays. They are
closed on Sundays. Exceptions are made for stores located
in transportation centres. Technically, they are only allowed
to sell food to be eaten on the road, so you may find certain
sections closed off. The Billa at Bahnhof Wien Nord is openToasting
A toast is commonly made before
the first drink. Most toasts are
simple—a few nice words to
honour a friend, family member
or special guest, or to celebrate
a certain holiday. When the
toast has been made, glasses
are lifted and everyone clinks
everyone else’s glass, looking
the person directly in the eye and
saying ‘Prost’.