Vienna Press Release – December 2025 Alcohol-free in Vienna

December 1, 2025 – Alcohol-free beverages are on trend. More and more restaurants in Vienna are offering alcohol-free beverage pairings – with proxies, sparkling teas and all kinds of drinks produced in-house.

What began with Dry January and Sober October has become a widespread trend. Alcohol-free beverages – but that means far more than simply removing the alcohol from wine, a process that usually comes at the expense of flavor. The range of alcohol-free beverages has expanded enormously in recent years. Many drinks are based on kombucha, that is, fermented tea and a kombucha culture, which, when combined with herbs, fruit, vegetables and spices, allows for a huge variety of flavors. Proxies, also known as proxy wines, aim to emulate wine’s layered and complex flavor using ingredients like tea, fruit, and spices – with great success. Proxies are also often based on fermented beverages. There is, of course, a bubbly option in the form of sparkling teas. One exciting example from Vienna is Simiaen Sprizz, a lichen-based alcohol-free drink. And let’s not forget single-varietal fruit juices. In the wine city of Vienna, grape juices from varieties such as Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc or Zweigelt offer a great alternative. If you prefer something less sweet, reach for a verjus, a juice made from unripe grapes.

In Vienna, Beisl Rosi, for example, offers a wide selection of alcohol-free drinks. Many of the drinks on the menu are also available to buy at the specialty shop for alcohol-free beverages called kein&low on Kaiserstraße. A store that would likely have been unthinkable a few years ago. For Larissa Andres and Jonathan Wittenbrink, who run the two vegan restaurants Jola and Lara, kein&low is also an important partner for alcohol-free beverages. With their two restaurants (Jola at fine-dining level, Lara more casual in bistro style), they show that plant-based cuisine does not mean sacrifice, but rather diversity and creativity. The non-alcoholic beverages, some of which are prepared in-house, are also served in this spirit.

House-made drinks

Restaurants at the top end of the dining scene in particular offer a wide array of house-made alcohol-free drinks. A prime example is the vegetarian Michelin-starred restaurant Tian. There, one staff member focuses exclusively on making the drinks. Michael Peceny, often nicknamed Miraculix by his colleagues, crafts creations such as a pumpkin drink with wormwood, a spruce-needle drink with Isabella grape, and a tonic made from artichoke trimmings. The tasting menu at Tian can be booked with a house-made alcohol-free pairing.

At Hausbar, you can also order a house-made alcohol-free pairing to complement the multi-course menus. The menu is created by Executive Chef Oliver Mohl; Gregor Stadler makes the drinks, including the alcohol-free ones. Alcohol-free drinks such as Apfelduett, Terra Agave and Kräuter-Fürst are perfectly paired with the dishes.

From Kombucha to Mocktails

At the fine-dining restaurant Das Kraus, diners can order an alcohol-free tea-based pairing with the multi-course menu. Sommelier Vanessa Schober is responsible for these creations. Expect concoctions such as rooibos tea with dried blackberry, rhubarb vinegar and blackberry foam.

There is also extensive experimentation with alcohol-free beverages at Augora Fermente: water kefir, kombucha, ginger beer and bergamot juice are available at Augora Fermente’s restaurant and shop.

Vienna’s cocktail bars have likewise embraced the trend toward alcohol-free drinks. Mocktails and drinks made with alcohol-free gin, vodka or rum, or based on Shrubs, a vinegar-based fruit syrup, are becoming ever more popular.