Motto: „Bier ist der Beweis, dass Gott uns liebt und will, dass wir glücklich sind.“, Benjamin Franklin, Nordamerik. Staatsmann.
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The beer is now the most popular alcoholic beverage in the whole Tirol. However, the beer has a short history in this Alpine land. Compared with Bavaria, the neighbor to the north, Tirol has a short beer drinking tradition. The standard beverage of the rural population used to be schnapps and wine. Today, beer is the national drink in Tyrol. Austria in general has a very strong beer culture, with your average Austrian consuming around 110 litres of the stuff each year. In fact, only the Czechs and Germans drink more beer in Europe on a per head basis. The secret of Tyrolean beer is excellent water, of course.
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In Tirol the first professional beer breweries date back to the 14th century at the Wilten monastery in Innsbruck. Until the 10th century farmers were the only ones to brew beer. Most of this fermented barley juice was for their personal use, some was sold to pilgrims and traveling salesmen. Surprisingly brewing used to be entirely a women’s business. The reason why only little beer was brewed in North Tirol can be attributed to a lack of corn. Instead wine galore was imported from South Tirol. Beer wasn’t really popular before the 19th century. Increased cultivation of corn, improved transport facilities, and last but not least and increase in demand for beer by tourists paved the way for this beverage. In the beginning beer was almost exclusively consumed by the bourgeoisie. Around 1890 a regular "beer revolt" broke out in Innsbruck when "Löwenhaus" brewery raised the price for beer drastically.
Starkenberg brevery in Tarrenz
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Today it's hard to imagine a Tirolean inn without beer. Tirol still has lots of interesting microbreweries. Especially worth mentioning are "Zillertal Bier", "Starkenberger" from Tarrenz, "Huber-Brauerei" in St. Johann and "Prangeralm" inn in Unterperfuß near Innsbruck, which is very popular with locals.
Andreas Hofer was a beer lover!
Andreas Hofer, the most popular hero in Tirol was not exactly averse to the idea of drinking.
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A fact that shouldn’t surprise really: as owner of the “Sandhof” inn (Val di Passiria/South Tirol) drinking alcohol was second nature to him. Located along one of the busiest transit routes, the Sandhof was a favorite way-station and refreshment stop for traders and wagoners – the only worthwhile customers at that time.
In those days inns still served as centers of public life drinking and alcohol played an important role in the animated atmosphere of an inn. Wine, schnapps and beer where the most popular beverages of the time. Although it is likely that “Father Hofer” had a preference for beer over wine.
Text based: www.tirol.at
Starkenberg brevery in Tarrenz
Andreas Hofer was a beer lover!
Andreas Hofer, the most popular hero in Tirol was not exactly averse to the idea of drinking.
In those days inns still served as centers of public life drinking and alcohol played an important role in the animated atmosphere of an inn. Wine, schnapps and beer where the most popular beverages of the time. Although it is likely that “Father Hofer” had a preference for beer over wine.
Text based: www.tirol.at