Afro
Best Winter Drinks in Kraków: Grzaniec, Hot Beer, Krupnik, and Proper Vodka
Best Winter Drinks in Kraków
Kraków in winter gives you a very specific kind of permission: to drink things that sound slightly unhinged in any other season.
Hot wine from a barrel. Beer served warm with syrup. Honey vodka turned into a Polish hot toddy. Cherry liqueurs that taste innocent for about three seconds and then remind you they’re Polish.
If you’re here for Krakow in winter and you want the stuff locals actually reach for when it’s cold, this is the guide. What to order, what it tastes like, and a few well-known places you can tag (and maybe get a re-share later).
1) Grzaniec: Kraków’s mulled wine that fixes your mood fast
Grzaniec is Poland’s mulled wine. In winter you’ll see it everywhere: market stalls, bars, anywhere that’s smart enough to monetize freezing tourists.
What to expect:
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hot red wine
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spice (cinnamon/clove vibes)
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citrus notes
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instant “I can feel my hands again” energy
Where to drink grzaniec in Kraków
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Main Square / seasonal stalls when they’re running (easy, central, classic)
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Szara (right in the centre, nice warm stop)
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Dzikie Wino Wine Bar if you want wine-bar vibes instead of “standing in the cold with a cup”
2) Grzane piwo: hot beer (yes, really)
This one splits people. Some try it and become obsessed. Others look personally offended.
Grzane piwo is hot beer, usually spiced and often mixed with ginger syrup or raspberry syrup. It’s weird for two sips, then suddenly it makes sense.
What to expect:
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warm lager base
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spice
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a bit of sweetness
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maximum winter comfort (once you accept it’s real)
Where to try it
Two reliable “winter warmer” style places to tag:
3) Krupnik na gorąco: Poland’s hot toddy
If mulled wine is the obvious choice and hot beer is the chaos choice, hot krupnik is the “actually smart” choice.
Krupnik is honey vodka, and krupnik na gorąco is basically a Polish hot toddy: honey vodka + hot water + spices + citrus. It warms you up properly, and it feels very “winter Poland.”
A lot of bars will make it if you ask, but if you want a dependable vodka-focused stop with a big reputation:
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Wódka Cafe Bar
4) Wiśniówka + nalewki: the sweet stuff that sneaks up on you
Winter is prime time for nalewki (traditional fruit liqueurs) and wiśniówka (cherry liqueur). These are the “tastes like dessert, hits like a drink” options.
What to expect:
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sweet fruit up front
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warmth on the finish
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dangerous confidence if you treat it like juice
A strong, established place to tag for Polish spirits + atmosphere:
5) Vodka tasting: winter’s easiest “activity”
If it’s cold and you want something that feels like an experience without much effort, vodka tasting in Krakow is a cheat code.
Why it works:
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you’re indoors
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you get context (what you’re drinking and why)
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it feels more “Kraków” than randomly ordering shots
If you want a warm, guided “food + drinks” opener that’s made for winter nights, do the Tipsy Polish Food Tour.
And if you want a social night out afterwards (meet people fast, no planning), here’s the crawl: Krakow Animals Crawl.