In order to raise the beer culture, Uli Bacher (Shilling Brewery) organized the 7th beer festival in his “Gartenrast” in Radenthein-Untertweng with free admission.
RADENTHEIN. No fewer than ten breweries have gathered in the idyllic “Garden Rest” so that beer connoisseurs can taste their treasures made from hops, malt and water. There is another opportunity for this this Saturday between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. The WOCHE raffled off five beer packages (eleven chips worth 32 euros). The five lucky winners from more than 550 participants are Lukas Schwab, Villach, Martin Hubmann, Seeboden, Sabrina Pleschberger, Landskron, Isabelle Leitner, Spittal, and Lisa Walder, Fresach.
Hobbybrauer
In addition to the in-house Shilling brewery and Hirter, represented by master brewer Roland Winter and employee Kurt Berger, the SPP brewery from Prague/Czech Republic was there with Marek Kocvera and Tomas Erlich. Austrian hobby brewers, who produce almost 700 varieties with their IG, which was founded around 20 years ago, and also won the state championship in 2021, were represented by a Carinthian delegation. One of them was Carina Berger, who three years ago hadn’t drunk beer and only got a taste for it through her friendship with hobby brewer Erwin Zupancic. Other IG representatives were Günther Dabernig and Michael Kogler.
Oldest brewery
The oldest Austrian brewery, which emerged from the Landbrauhaus Hofstetten in the Mühlviertel, founded in 1229, has been owned by the Krammer family since 1847, represented at the beer festival by Peter, Jana and Sabine Krammer. Among other things, they offered Granitbock and honey beer, which are also available in the “Gartenrast”.
Start in the soup pot
“Loncium”, the old Roman name for Kötschach-Mauthen, is a beer factory from the Gail Valley, which also has a beer hotel attached. It all started in 2004 in grandma’s soup pot, as chef Alois Planner and certified sommelier Sabrina Zankl explain. Winner of several European Beer Awards, the beer manufacturer has also brewed the first non-alcoholic Indian Pale Ale in its 20 hectolitre brewhouse.
Beer from the Trappist monastery
The Schnaitl private brewery is at home in Gundertshausen in the Innviertel region and has been family-owned for four generations. In Untertweng, Matthias Schnaitl was there with Christian Zauntner. The Schnaitls are particularly proud of their “Schnaitl Dunkel”: it is chestnut-colored, almost reddish and pampers the palate with aromas of dark chocolate and cocoa. Beer has been brewed in the only Austrian Trappist monastery in Engelszell Abbey in Upper Austria since 2012 – represented by master brewer Michael Hehenberger and Katharina Heindl, assistant to the management.
Youngest private brewery
North of St. Veit ad Glan, the hamlet of Wimitz, which consists of just seven houses, is home to Austria’s newest private brewery. Co-owner and managing director Josef Habich reports that only the purest spring water from the Wimitzbach is used for the organic beer, which is characterized by its complete naturalness, and barley and hops come from their own cultivation. The Belgian brasserie Lindemans represented Ulrike and Heinrich Wiebmer from Lienz.
Music by “fourTunes”
Of course, live music couldn’t be missing either. This was ensured by the formation “fourTunes” with singer Sophie Mayer, guitarists Robert Schwarz and Bruno Fauland and drummer Mike Costerius. Mayor Michael Maier and his partner Michaela Wallner were among the visitors.