A distinct approach to beer

The citizens of Austria’s westernmost federal state are proud of their independent developments, and that pride is also evident in the state’s beer market.  Nine out of 10 beers drunk in Vorarlberg are also brewed in one of the four industrial breweries at home in the state.  These typical Vorarlberg brews are a little stronger and have a slightly more intense taste than other beers.

A propos taste:  The region around Lake Constance is well known for the high gastronomic standards one enjoys in all the countries that border on that large body of water—and the people of Vorarlberg are right at the top of the culinary tree.  Among other things, that presupposes a suitable diversity of beers.  New beer creations are continually emerging from the brew kettles of the state that its inhabitants lovingly call “Ländle.”  A number of those beers are now a staple part of the range of the brewery that created them and have also become popular specialities to the east of the Arlberg range.

Suggestions from the homebrewing community

One is also struck by the close links that Vorarlberg’s brewing industry maintains with the homebrewing community, which is a particularly active one in Vorarlberg.  People who brew beer for fun at home can usually depend on advice from professional master brewers—and vice-versa.  Apart from winning over the judges at homebrewing competitions, Vorarlberg’s homebrews have also won over professional brewers, who have taken up suggestions from the community to bring products of their own to market.  This too is proof of the extraordinary independence of the state’s brewing landscape, where openness is never a problem.  After all, during beer’s long history, many influences on brewing culture have come from outside the industry but are now seen as successes in their own right.