Colours by Europe | EU Drinks & Beverages

Drinks & Beverages

Europe has so many flavourful and refined wines, beers and spirits to complement a range of cuisines and events. For thousands of years, family-run vineyards, breweries and distilleries have harnessed the unique regional climate to cultivate and extract the perfect ingredients for world-famous labels. While these traditional methods of production cannot be overlooked, innovative equipment and technologies have allowed today’s European producers to deliver some of the safest and finest wines, spirits and beers.

Côtes du Rhône PDO

Côtes du Rhône are the 21 basic varieties of red, white, and rosé wines from the wine-growing Rhône region in France. The red blends are most well-known, and made from Grenache, Mourvèdre, or Syrah grapes planted on a variety of different soils which contribute to their unique character.

Ouzo / Oύζο PDO

This clear alcoholic beverage from Cyprus and Greece is similar in taste to other anise liqueurs like pastis, sambuca, and raki.

Budějovické Pivo PGI

Budějovické pivo PGI, or beer from Budějovické, is a pale lager beer from the South Bohemia region of Czechia. The beer is a deep golden colour, with a white head or foam top.

Tokaj / Tokaji PDO

Tokaj PDO is a sweet white, golden wine made from aszú grapes in the Tokaj region of Hungary or the adjoining Tokaj wine region in Slovakia. Named by King Louis XIV of France ‘the wine of kings, the king of wines’ and mentioned in the official anthem of Hungary, the wine from this region has an even older tradition than champagne.

Prosecco PDO

Prosecco PDO is an Italian white wine named after the village of Prosecco in the province of Trieste. It is predominantly made from the Prosecco grape (renamed Glera in 2009 within the European Union) and is almost always made in sparkling (spumante) or semi-sparkling (frizzante) style. A still wine version (tranquillo) also exists.

Porto PDO

Vinho do Porto (Port) PDO is a fortified wine that comes from the Douro Valley in Portugal. It was named after the seaport city of Porto where much of the product was brought to market for export to other countries in Europe. There are a number of red Port varieties (including ruby and tawny) as well as white and rose.

Kaimiškas Jovarų Alus PGI

Kaimiškas Jovarų alus PGI, or rustic beer, is a naturally fermented farmhouse ale from Lithuania. It ranges in colour, from golden yellow to amber. This complex and full-flavoured beer has a strong nutty and malty flavour and is bitter in taste. Kaimiškas is made with a unique yeast that is only found in this area.

Eisenberg PDO

Eisenberg – which translates as Iron Mountain – is a wine growing region close to the Hungarian border in southeast Austria that stretches about 30 kilometres from north to south and only has around 515 hectares of vineyards in total. Its wine has come to distinguish itself among the world’s greatest. Red wine from the Blaufränkisch grape is the best known from the Eisenberg region and is characterised by a particularly earthy mineral spice, and a peppery flavour.

Pregler / Osttiroler Pregler PDO

Pregler PDO is a fruit brandy or schnapps made from local apples and pears. It comes from the Osttirol region of Austria and is produced exclusively in distilleries in the ‘Lienz’ region. The schnapps is clear and colourless and has a sweet fruity flavour.

Get inspired

Discover new recipes, iconic food pairings and engaging tutorials featuring a mix of EU agricultural food products and prepared dishes to recreate at home.