Deep South Austria

I’m a sucker for a Coke-killer; a local soft-beverage hero that competes with, or in rare cases, outsells, Coca-Cola in its home market. Scotland has Irn-Bru. Slovenia has Cockta. And Austria has Almdudler.

What is Almdudler?

Almdudler is a carbonated apple and grape blend, flavoured with 32 Alpine herbal extracts. Invented in Austria in 1957 by Erwin Klein as a wedding gift for his bride, the exact recipe is a guarded secret.

The herbs include: lemon balm, sage, gentian, elderflower and coneflower, plants chosen to capture the essence of Austria’s mountains. The name is derived from ‘auf der Alm dudeln’, which is apparently old Viennese dialect for ‘yodelling on the meadows’.

I must be clear that Almdudler does not outsell Coca-Cola, even in Austria. But it does take the number two spot. It has been called a ‘cult drink’, sells some 80 million liters annually, and is a national soda of sorts, evoking feelings of pride and nostalgia. It terms of Austrian companies, it’s a top ten brand.

The Almdudler Effect

I’m drawn to the artwork of food and drink products. I often buy a bottle or tin of something, purely for the packaging. I then put said packaging on a shelf to admire it, much to the annoyance of my wife, who believes the rightful place for empty bottles and tins, is in the bin.

When I stumbled across Almdudler on a visit to Austria many years ago, I was attracted to the pretty glass bottle, printed with a classic design of a couple dressed in traditional Austrian attire. I loved the simple, stylish, yet timeless look. The Almdudler logo also has a lovely retro feel, which appears to have remained unchanged since its inception. Almdudler scores extra points for still being run by the same family that invented it back in ‘57.

What does Almdudler taste like?

Almdudler used to be branded as a lemonade. It now comes under the umbrella of ‘herbal’ drink. But that’s an umbrella so wide it doesn’t tell us much. Almdudler doesn’t have the bitter edge that many herbal soft drinks do. It’s certainly heavy on grape flavour, has a pleasant appley fizz, and is a refreshing, sweet drink.

It’s often used as a mixer for white wine spritzers, and if you order a radler (beer shandy) in Austria, then Almdudler is the default soft component. There’s even a skiwasser (ski water) variety – a fruity squash popular in Austira’s mountain huts.

Almdudler’s Merchandise and Marketing

Almdudler has become part of the Austrian landscape. Everywhere you go, you see Almdudler sun parasols and deckchairs. Ski areas sell it on tap and advertise it on their giant ski maps. Bars have Almdudler-branded cutlery boxes and ashtrays.

One of my favourite sightings was an old Almdudler van that looked like it had been converted to a camper. Parked up on a backroad in the city of Villach, I wondered what its story was.

The Almdudler product range has expanded over the years. Perhaps seeking to capture a slice of the energy drinks market, there is now a Mate & Guarana version. And a partnership with Haribo has brought us Almdudler flavoured gummies. For me though – it’s those classic glass bottles, with their printed white-outline design that I love.

Almdudler Goes Gay

For a drink steeped in such tradition, the Almdudler company are quite progressive. They have released some merchandise where their classic couple has been replaced with same-sex pairings.

And in 2020 they launched their ‘Almdudler*in’ diversity edition bottles. German is a very gender specific language, something which is now causing problems in an age of gender equality and fluidity.

For example, a male teacher is der Lehrer, and a female teacher is die Lehrerin. Almdudler’s ‘diversity edition’ bottles drew attention to ‘gender appropriate spelling’ by featuring an asterisk in place of a gender specific suffix.

Almdudler noted that because their bottles are reusable, they could remain in circulation for up to 30 years, prolonging the lifetime of the campaign’s message. Indeed, I have occasionally come across Almdudler bottles with older designs, probably decades old. I like the idea of a beautiful bottle living that long.

Almdudler’s Fabulous Blonde

In a move that might be considered a little less progressive by some, Almdudler commissioned the famed pop artist Mel Ramos to work his magic on a bottle of Almdudler, leading to the ‘Fabulous Blonde’.

I was surprised to hear that Mel was an “an ardent Austrian and Almdudler fan,” and “even personally brought his work to Vienna in October 2017, where it was exhibited for several weeks in the Kunsthistorisches Museum.” The partnership saw 120, signed, numbered prints. In October 2023 one sold for just over €2000.

Almdudler vs Red Bull

It would be remiss of me to write about Austrian Coke-killers without a mention of Red Bull. Strictly speaking, Red Bull created a whole new product category: Energy Drinks, in which Almdudler is not a part. But the Red Bull story is for another day.

Today we are celebrating Almdudler. And it’s the all-Austrian DNA of the drink, and those lovely bottles, that appeal to me even more than the taste. When you drink Almdudler, you’re drinking a little bit of Austria, supporting an Austrian, family-run company, and getting a rather attractive glass bottle, which, when empty, you can put on your shelf to annoy your wife.

So when in Austria: drink Almdudler.