Zwettler beer
Authentic and independent Waldviertel brewing art
Zwettl private brewery
It was founded in 1708 as the so-called “Stiegenbrauerei” by the Schickenhof, a farmstead belonging to Zwettl Abbey.
In 1890, Georg Schwarz, the great-grandfather of the current owner, immigrated from Bavaria and acquired the brewery, which at the time had an output of less than 1,000 hectolitres. Full of initiative and zest for action, he set about expanding the brewery.
Ten years later and after electrification of the brewery, output had already reached 4,692 hectolitres.
The brewery subsequently experienced difficult times. Both the economic crisis of the 1930s and the turmoil of the Second World War and the subsequent Russian occupation caused the brewery to stagnate in its development.
The major upswing only came with the expansion of the brewery in the sixties and seventies. With the fall of the beer cartel in 1979, the Zwettl brewery finally achieved its breakthrough as a solid medium-sized brewery with an annual output of around 200,000 hectolitres.
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© Waldviertel Tourismus, Studio Kerschbaum
The philosophy of the Zwettl private brewery is based on customer focus, quality, tradition and regional ties.
The power of the region is utilised intensively: on the one hand, by sourcing the ingredients for brewing beer – hops, malting barley and water – almost entirely from the immediate vicinity of the breweries, and on the other hand, by doing business with and for the people of the Waldviertel.
The brewery’s commitment to the region is reflected in its high quality standards. Waldviertel people are conscientious, careful, reliable and persevering, just as the highlands in the far north of Austria have produced for many generations. The Waldviertel with its special climate provides the perfect basis for excellent hops and first-class barley. The Zwettl private brewery therefore consciously utilises these natural treasures typical of the region.
© zwettler.at
© zwettler.at
The Zwettler brewing experience
Can you taste the origin of the beer? You can find out at the Zwettler Brewery Experience! And you can get to the bottom of the flavour of the beers at the Zwettler Brewery Experience – find out how the golden yellow balls of the hop cones cause the bitterness of the beer, how the brewing malt gives the beer strength and body and how everything has to work together to create beer with a strong character.
After the tour of the brewery, it’s off to the Zwickl-Stube for a tasting of the beer specialities; at least two pints – for an initial insight into the wide variety of beers – are included in the tour price. If you have the good idea to take part in the Friday evening twilight shopping, you can enjoy a complete tasting of the private brewery’s current range. How good it tastes is the best beer experience at the Zwettler Brewery Experience.
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