A total of nine breweries produce their own beer in South Tyrol, which is also protected by a quality mark
Image gallery: South Tyrolean Beer
A well-cooled beer after a hike in South Tyrol's mountains or after an excursion into local culture can be a crowning finale of an eventful day. Produced according to strict quality criteria, local beer has been allowed to carry the South Tyrol Quality Mark since 2013, and there are 75,000 litres of it every year. 15,000 kg of South Tyrolean barley are available for this purpose.
The beer is produced by nine breweries in the province, including the Batzenbräu in Bolzano, the Pfefferlechner in Lana, and the Rienzbräu in Brunico. The first certified organic brewery in South Tyrol is called AH (Andreas Hofer) Brauerei and is located in Fortezza. The largest and best known, however, rises in Foresta (Forst) near Lagundo: the Forst Special Beer Brewery, founded in 1857, which produces 700,000 hectolitres of beer every year and ships it worldwide. The beers on offer include Luxus Light, Kronen, Felsenkeller, and the annual limited edition Christmas beer.
To produce beer with the South Tyrol Quality Mark, barley malt, water and hops are mixed into a mash and heated. The liquid part, called wort, is then boiled in the brew kettle and cooled to fermentation temperature. Yeast is added before the beer ferments for a week, and is then stored for another 4-6 weeks. The individual bottom-fermented and top-fermented varieties are called Märzen (March beer), Helles (pale lager beer), Bock (strong lager), Kräuterbier (herb beer), Gewürzbier (spiced ale) and Vienna Lager. Cheers!
