Sixth place worldwide

Austrians drink a lot of coffee in comparison

Tuesday, October 1, is Coffee Day. Around 2.6 billion cups are drunk worldwide every day, with Austria in sixth place. In this country, people drink 5.73 kilograms of coffee every year.

However, according to a press release from the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, Austria is top in terms of the number of different coffee drinks and the names associated with them. In Viennese coffee houses, for example, more than 40 varieties can be ordered, including the Melange, the Kapuziner and the Einspänner, which have been around since 1830.

"For the Viennese, a day without coffee is unthinkable," said Wolfgang Binder from the Vienna Chamber of Commerce in a press release on Friday. Together with one of the city's best-known cafetiers, Berndt Querfeld, he will be serving freshly brewed coffee free of charge on the Espressomobil next Tuesday from 9 a.m. on Herbert-von-Karajan-Platz next to the State Opera.

Austria ranks sixth worldwide in coffee consumption with 5.73 kilograms per year. The statistics are led by Luxembourg with 8.47 kilograms. Coffee is the second most consumed beverage in the world after water.

Origins linked to the Turkish siege
In Vienna, the origins of coffee are closely linked to the Turkish siege of 1683. At the time, the Turks allowed the beans to be consumed, which soon met with great interest. The first coffee house opened in Austria's capital in 1685. Today there are around 800, plus coffee restaurants and patisseries.