In Vienna, no one gulps down their coffee elbow to elbow at the counter. Instead, the Viennese take a seat at a marble table, browse the day’s paper and savour their coffee. In fact, the Viennese have been drinking the stuff for centuries. In 1683, the troops of the king of Poland pushed back the army of the grand Vizir that had been laying siege to Vienna for two months. In their haste, the Turks left 500 bags of coffee beans behind. A passing Armenian, attracted by the smell of coffee, recovered the booty. He then obtained permission from Emperor Leopold I to open a cafe, Zur blauen Flasche (“At the blue bottle”), where he soon served a blackish drink cut with milk and honey, now known as a Viennese coffee. Zur blauen Flasche no longer stands today, but you can still savour the moment at Central, Mozart, Hawelka, and Imperial Cafes. Café Central Herrengasse 14, 1010 Wien, Austria
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