Brewing Austrian-Style Beer With The Oldest Brewery In Austria

As a brand steeped in Austrian-heritage, there’s no better way to kick off our first international beer collaboration than with a world-class Austrian brewery. Brauerei Hofstetten of St. Martin, Austria began brewing their own beer as a tavern along the historical salt road from Danube to Bohemia in 1229, earning them the title of Oldest Brewery in Austria in the Guinness Book of Records. Their knowledge of Austrian-style brews and historic ingredients was a true honor to behold during this collaboration.

Brewed with Historic, Post-War Ingredients

Stowe Style Zwickelbier is an unfiltered pale lager brewed with Austrian-grown Heines Haisa organic malt and Malling hops. To recreate the flavors of post-war beers, Hofstetten regrew Heines Haisa, an old barley which has become scarce since newer, more productive barley was discovered. Luckily, after 10 years of trials, friends of Hoffsteten have been able to regrow enough of this highly limited crop for brewing.

Malling hops are extremely special to Mühlviertel, the region in upper Austria where Hofstetten is settled. When the Nazis came to the region during World War II, they worked to eliminate all crops growing there and move them to the Hallertau in Germany. Clever hop farmers took a few hop plants and secretly planted them in the forest to preserve them. When the Nazis left, they were able to replant the Malling and start cultivating hops again. This type of hop is only grown in Austria.