Buschenschank

Buschenschank (wine tavern), started to spring up in the 18^th century when Emperor Joseph II decreed on August 17, 1784 that owners of vineyards were allowed to sell wine ( Heuriger), Most (a drink drier than cider and slightly less alcoholic) and Sturm (Most which has started fermenting) as well as non-alcoholic beverages and cold food on their own premises. There are Buschenschank taverns in the federal provinces of Vienna, Lower Austria, Burgenland, Styria, Carinthia and Tirol; they are subject to the special trading regulations (owners of a Buschenschank need a special licence; they are permitted to sell their products tax-free during a limited time of the year only; if the Buschenschank is open, the custom is to display a "Buschen", or bunch of evergreen boughs, over the entrance).

Literature: N. Massauer, Die Land- und Forstwirtschaft in der Gewerbeordnung, 1978.