The best Polish drinks for cold winter evenings

Winter is coming and anyone who have experienced winter in Poland knows that this is serious. You need to be prepared for the thermal shock and then long, dark days. There a few things that can make this time of the year more enjoyable but nothing works better than a good, Polish winter drink. Here is the list of the best beverages that you need to try this winter.

Mulled beer – grzaniec

King of Polish winter drinks, comes as a surprise to foreigners who are accustomed with the idea of mulled wine, but not mulled beer. If you are one of those people try to forget wine (at least once) and trust the true Polish connoisseurs by supping on grzaniec this winter season. It is hot,spicy and sweet, with undertones of Christmas spices (cloves and cinnamon) which makes it the perfect drink to enjoy during cold, snowy evenings. Some people believe in the healing properties of mulled beer and if you need one more reason to try it, here it is.

Mulled wine – grzane wino

It’s good to be adventures and to try new things but sometimes nothing gives more comfort than a classic, simple and familiar drink. Mulled wine is one of them and can be bought almost in every pub, shop or Christmas market across Poland. Similarly to mulled beer, mulled wine brings you this nice warm felling and smells of winter holiday. In Poland you can buy ready spice mixes that can be added to the red wine or even buy ready mulled wine that has to be only heat up. There is no excuse now!

Herbata z prądem

Herbata z prądem means literally tea with electricity or current and thanks to its origins is also referred to as mountain tea. It is a simple drink made of tea and alcohol with optional addition of sugar and lemon. The most popular version is made of rum but any liqueur or vodka will do. It’s the perfect drink after a day of skiing and hiking or a medicine if you are feeling ill. Hey, alcohol kills bacteria so why not to try it?

Nalewka – Polish liqueur

Nalewka, Polish liqueur made of spices, herbs and fruits usually contains 40-45 percent of alcohol but according to many Polish people nalewka tastes much better than vodka. The Old Polish tradition claims that medium-dry and semi-sweet fruit liqueurs nalewka should be served with meat dishes, while sweet nalewka is a dessert alcohol, but Poles also drink it neat so your choices are endless. Interestingly nalewka is one of those drinks that can be made at home and a lot of people prepare it themselves to have something nice to look forward to for long winter days.

Hot chocolate

Not everyone likes (wants to or can) to drink alcohol so there had to be at least one non alcoholic drink included (yes, this is how fair we are!). Hot chocolate is probably one of the most favourite hot drinks enjoyed by Poles in cafes (of course next to coffee and tea). Nowadays there are many places specialising in the real thing – thick, smooth and incredibly delicious hot chocolates that are served with whipped cream and additional spices. Polish people can be adventures too so don’t be surprised to see hot chocolate with chilli on the menu.