Food & Drinking Culture

In Austria, Inländerrum belongs more in the bakery than at the bar. Punschkrapfen, rum balls, and Rumtopf all live off its aroma. The alcohol carries vanilla and cinnamon into the dough, and during baking, the burn evaporates while the spice remains. That's why it's so popular in pastries.

The Punschkrapfen is a classic of Viennese pastry-making: sponge cake, jam, and rum, covered in a pink glaze. The rum ball consists of chocolate, nuts, or cake scraps bound together with a splash of rum. Rumtopf, on the other hand, steeps summer fruits in rum, to be opened in winter.

The best-known drink made with Inländerrum is Jagertee. It consists of black tea, rum, and spices, served hot, and is a staple at ski huts, alpine pastures, and Christmas markets. According to the Stroh company, its recipe dates back to 1864 and lists orange, lemon, vanilla, cinnamon, and cloves as ingredients.

Important to understand: Jagertee is a winter and mountain-hut drink, a tea break for people who've just come in from outdoors. It's drunk in small sips, not in large quantities. The warmth is meant to warm you, not intoxicate you. Something similar applies to punch, which is a seasonal specialty in many regions of Austria.

Those baking at home will often find a note in the recipe that just a few drops of Stroh 80 are enough. The flavor is concentrated, the amount small. Sweet treats with rum turn out best when the rum suits the dough, not the other way around. More connections between rum and chocolate can be found in the guide to rum and chocolate.