Austrian Beer: A Guide to the Country’s Top-Selling Brews

Austrian Beer will give you the perfect blend of aroma, taste, mouthfeel, and flavor. Austria has a rich brewing tradition and a wide variety of beer styles to explore. From crisp lagers to full-bodied ales, there is something for every beer lover to enjoy.

Gear up as our team offers this comprehensive list of the best Austrian brews around!

Best Austrian Beers

Austria has a rich history of brewing and is home to many delicious beers. In this list, we’ve compiled a selection of 12 best Austrian beer brands you shouldn’t miss. These are must-try beers for anyone visiting Austria or simply looking to explore the country’s rich brewing heritage.

– Ottakringer Wiener Original 

The Ottakringer Wiener Original is a historic beer brewed according to a 100-year-old recipe from Ottakringer. This beer brand is among the top of the Vienna beer brands. This beer is made from Viennese malt, melanoidin malt, and the finest Saaz hops, which give it its amber color and distinctive flavor.

Ottakringer has a nutty note and an elegant malt aroma, leaving a gently bitter aftertaste. It has an alcohol content of 5.3 percent and an original gravity of 12.0 degrees. It is suitable for vegans and is lactose-free, but it does contain gluten. It has a calorific value of 180 KJ/43 kcal per 100 milliliters and is made with water, barley malt, and hops. 

It should be noted that it contains barley malt as an allergen. Overall, the Ottakringer Beer is a classic and flavorful beer that is perfect for those who appreciate a good amber brew. The malty flavor of the beer pairs well with grilled meats like steaks and burgers.

– Stiegl Weisse

The Stiegl Weisse is a full beer made with carefully selected ingredients from Austria. It is one of the best beer in vienna. It is a naturally clouded wheat beer with a gentle maturation process that gives it a mild, quaffable taste. 

The beer is made with water, wheat malt, barley malt, hops, and yeast. It has a glowing amber color and a fruity-aromatic taste of yeast combined with effervescence, making it a delight for wheat beer enthusiasts. It has a gravity of 12 degrees P and an ABV of 5.1 percent vol with a calorific value of 170 KJ/ 40.7 kcal per 100 milliliters.

It is important to note that all of Stiegl’s beers and brewed beverages, including their lemonade, contain gluten and gluten-based products. Overall, the Stiegl Weisse is a tasty and refreshing wheat beer that is perfect for those who enjoy a little bit of effervescence in their brew.

The light and refreshing character of the Stiegl Weisse can help to balance the heat of spicy dishes like Thai curry or Mexican-style food.

– Hallstatt Das Bier

Hallstatt Das Bier is a smooth grainy brew made according to a traditional recipe. It has an alcohol content of 4.5 percent vol. and an original gravity of 11.5 degrees P, and it is characterized by its intense malt flavor and fine caramel note. 

The natural amber color of the beer is a testament to its strong and full-bodied character. The aftertaste is grainy with hints of malt, and there is not much bitterness, just a lot of grain. Overall, Hallstatt Das Bier is a flavorful and well-balanced brew perfect for those who appreciate a smooth and slightly malty beer.

– Egger Märzen

Egger Märzen is a classic Austrian lager beer with a rich, full-bodied taste. It is moderately hopped and has a high fermentation level, giving it a smooth and enjoyable flavor. It has an alcohol content of 5.0 percent and an original gravity of 11.5° degrees Plato. 

This malty beer has won numerous competitions, including being awarded GOLD at the DLG competition for high quality an impressive eleven times in a row. Egger Austrian Märzen beer is a perfect beer for classic pleasure.

The name Märzen Bier comes from the German word for March, as this beer was traditionally brewed in the autumn and left to mature in barrels during the winter to be enjoyed in March when the ice had melted. 

– Edelweiss

Edelweiss is a premium wheat beer with a smooth, refreshing finish and a subtle, fruity aftertaste. It is made with the finest ingredients, including pure Alpine water and a hint of mountain herbs, and has a rich history dating back to 1646. 

With an alcohol by volume of around 5 percent, Edelweiss is easy to drink and perfect for a refreshing, thirst-quenching experience. Its ingredients include water, barley malt, wheat, malt, natural flavorings, apple extract, yeast and hops, and it has a nutritional value of 186 kJ/45 kcal per 100 ml. 

Whether enjoyed on its own or paired with a meal, Edelweiss is sure to delight the senses with its crisp, refreshing taste and distinct character.

– Zipfer Urtyp

Zipfer Urtyp is a speciality lager beer that is brewed in Austria by Brau Union. It has a slightly sweet flavor with a refined finish and is made with four different types of hops, which gives it a fruity character. 

This beer has a bright golden yellow color and is full of flavor, with rich extracts, hints of hops, and subtle malt tones. It has an ABV value of 5.4 percent. 

With its balance of fine fruitiness and subtle hop and malt notes, Zipfer Urtyp is considered the epitome of a premium Austrian beer. Its 13.7 degrees P original gravity adds to its smooth, satisfying taste. Enjoyed on its own or even paired with a meal, Zipfer Urtyp is a delicious choice for beer lovers.

– Gösser Natur Radler Lemon

Gösser Natur Radler Lemon by Göss brewery is a mixed beer beverage made from 60 percent fruit juice lemonade and 40 percent full beer. It is brewed with a combination of natural lemon juice and Gösser beer, resulting in a refreshingly light and unique drinking experience. 

This beer is made with water, barley malt, fructose, lemon juice concentrate, orange juice concentrate, apple juice concentrate, hops, hop extract, carbon dioxide, concentrated lemon extract, citric acid, natural flavor, stabilizer locust bean gum, and lemongrass extract. It has a low alcohol content of only 2.0 percent and an Original wort of 8.7. 

Gösser Natur Radler Lemon is a thirst-quenching choice for those looking for a simple and refreshing beer with a harmonious taste and no artificial additives. Its slight cloudiness is a result of the real lemon juice used in its brewing process.

– Puntigamer “The Beery Beer”

Puntigamer, “the beery beer” is a popular Märzen beer in Austria. It is known for its bright yellow color and its amiable, fruity and malty taste, with a subtle hops note. It has an original wort of 11.5 degrees P and an alcohol content of 5.1 percent by volume. 

Puntigamer is a full beer made with water, barley malt, and hops, and it should be stored in a cool place to protect it from heat. In terms of nutritional value, Puntigamer has an energy content of 40 kcal or 170 kJ per serving.

Puntigamer, “the beery beer” is a refreshing and satisfying choice for beer lovers that is perfect to relish with any meal.

– Starkenberger GoldLager

Starkenberger GoldLager is a premium Tyrolean lager beer that has been awarded for its high quality. It has a spicy aroma with notes of malt, and it is known for its mild malt flavor, balanced hoppy notes, and smooth carbonation, making it a refreshing and enjoyable drinking experience. 

This lager beer is fermented using the bottom-fermentation method. It has an alcohol content of 5.0 percent and is brewed with mountain spring water, hops, and barley malt. It is suggested to be paired with salads, fish, and poultry. 

Starkenberger GoldLager is available in several different packaging options, including 0.5-litre bottles, 0.33-litre bottles, 6-pack carriers, and kegs in sizes 25 and 50 litres. 

– Schleppe No 1

Schleppe No. 1 is a speciality beer that the Zuge brewery has brewed in Klagenfurt, Austria since 1607. The brewery has a long tradition of brewing at the highest level and is known for its passion for the art of brewing. 

Schleppe No. 1 is a creative beer characterized by its shimmering orange color and fine-pored, dense cream-colored foam. Its exotic scent, reminiscent of ripe passion fruit and rhubarb, creates tension heightened by the initial sip. It has an alcohol content of 5.3 percent by volume and an original wort of 12.8 degrees P. It is best served at a drinking temperature of 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

The beer has a fresh, finely sparkling liveliness that dances with creamy suppleness over the tongue and palate, filling the mouth with abundant fruitiness. It has a pronounced hop aroma that is dry, resinous, and fruity. 

Schleppe No. 1 is a playful and harmonious beer that is an unforgettable taste experience for those who appreciate something special. It has won several awards, including the Best PALE in Europe (European Beer Star), the golden DLG seal in 2016, and 96 Falstaff points. 

– Wieselburger Stammbräu

Wieselburger Stammbräu has a golden yellow color, a light amber lustre, and a full-bodied, spicy, malty flavor. It is made with water, barley malt, hops, and hop extract and has a wort of 12.6 degrees P and an alcohol content of 5.4 percent. 

It is available in swing-top bottles that can be purchased individually or in packs of 4 or cases of 20 in national food retail outlets. It has a nutritional value of 184 kJ/44 cal per 100 ml. Wieselburger Stammbräu has a golden yellow color with bold flavors, which makes it a standout choice for beer enthusiasts.

– Murauer Premium PILS

Murauer Premium PILS is a refreshing premium beer that is known for its flavor of the finest aroma hops. This premium beer has a light, refreshing taste and is not very malty, with a pleasant hop bitterness. It is an Austrian pilsner which is light yellow with a slender appearance. 

It is suitable as an aperitif and is often served with light meals. Murauer Premium PILS is 5.1 percent alcohol by volume and is classified as a full beer. It is made with water, barley malt, and hops and should be stored in a cool, dark place to protect it from heat. 

You can enjoy Murauer Premium PILS on its own or as a side with a meal. Either way, this beer will not disappoint you. Its refreshing flavor and light, crisp taste make it a beer worth trying.

Conclusion 

Overall, Austrian beer culture offers a diverse and exciting range of beers for all beer enthusiasts. From amber brews to wheat beers and lagers, there is a flavor and style for everyone to discover. 

Here’s what you will need to know before trying an Austrian beer:

• Austria has a rich brewing tradition and a wide variety of beer styles to explore, from crisp lagers to full-bodied ales.
• The Best Austrian Beers, with a variety of styles, ensure pleasant taste, rejuvenating flavors, and enjoyable mouthfeel.
• The full-bodied lagers, aka “continental” lagers, brewed at local breweries are very popular in the country.
• Most Austrian beers have an ABV of around 5 to 5.5 percent. However, there’s also Samichlaus Classic, which has a much higher ABV of 14 percent! On the other hand, Gösser Natur Radler Lemon has an ABV of only 2 percent.

Whether you’re a seasoned beer connoisseur or just looking to try something new, be sure to give these top picks a try and experience the best of Austrian stout beer culture!