Austrian Beer and Drinks: Lager, Schnapps and Herbal Lemonade
6 guides
Austrian drinking splits cleanly between the tavern and the supermarket shelf. Beer is mostly clean, malt-forward lager poured as a Seidl or Krügerl, and the brewing map runs from seven very large plants to roughly 330 small breweries. Stiegl has brewed in Salzburg since 1492, while Gösser traces its story to a convent in Göss, now a district of Leoben.
Brand recognition helps travelers order with confidence. Zipfer comes from the small Upper Austria town of Zipf, where the Original is a 5.4% pale lager and the Pils a 5.2% pilsener. Gösser's Märzen is worth knowing before a Gösseum tour, which comes in two formats with different days and times.
Beyond beer, schnapps is a clear fruit brandy served neat in a small glass after a meal, not the sweet colored liqueur sold in US cocktail aisles; the Marille, Williams, plum, Vogelbeer, Zirbe and gentian types each taste distinct. Almdudler, a carbonated herbal lemonade made in Vienna since 1957, appears in huts and taverns and is often mixed with beer or wine.
Country-wide guides
- Austrian Beer: Styles, Breweries and Brewery Visits
Austrian beer is mostly clean, malt-forward lager served in a Seidl or a Krügerl, and the country's brewing splits between seven very large plants and roughly 330 small breweries. This guide covers the styles you will meet, the brands on taps, and the brewery museums and tastings that fit an Austria route.
- Almdudler: Austria's Herbal Lemonade, Explained for Travelers
Almdudler is a carbonated herbal lemonade made in Vienna since 1957, sold in supermarkets and served in huts and taverns. This guide covers what it tastes like, how Austrians mix it with beer or wine, the pack styles on shelves, and how to read the label.
- Austrian Schnapps: Marille, Williams and Other Fruit Brandies
Austrian schnapps is a clear fruit brandy served neat in a small glass after a meal, not the sweet colored liqueur sold in US cocktail aisles. This guide covers the Marille, Williams, plum, Vogelbeer, Zirbe and gentian types, how Brand and Geist differ, how to read a menu, and what a bottle costs in a Tyrolean shop.
- Gösser Beer: Austria's Göss Brewery, the Gösseum and the Beers
Gösser is a Styrian beer label whose story starts at a convent in Göss, now a district of Leoben. This guide covers the beers on Austrian shelves, what Märzen tastes like, and the two Gösseum tour formats, with their days, times and time cost.
- Stiegl Beer: A Traveler's Guide to Austria's Salzburg Brewery
Stiegl has brewed in Salzburg since 1492 and bills itself as Austria's leading privately owned brewery. This guide explains the name, the Goldbräu pale lager you will see on menus nationwide, how drinkers rate it, and how the brand fits an Austrian route.
- Zipfer Beer: What It Is and Where It Comes From
Zipfer is an Austrian beer brewed in Zipf, a small town in Upper Austria. The Original is a 5.4% pale lager and the Pils is a 5.2% pilsener, both light, softly hopped and easy to drink. Here is how the two bottles differ and what the beer tastes like.