Food & Beer Culture

What food pairs with beer from South Tyrol? Speck dumplings, for example. The dumpling made from stale bread, speck, and onions floats in broth or sits atop sauerkraut, and a lager with fine bitterness and lively carbonation cuts through the fat, leaving the mouth refreshed again.

On a charcuterie board you'll find speck, Kaminwurzen sausages, and mountain cheese. South Tyrolean speck is salted, seasoned, smoked, and air-dried, with a salty, lightly smoky taste. The malt of an Export balances out the saltiness, while the Pils counters it with its bitterness. This in-between meal itself is called Marende in South Tyrol.

Schlutzkrapfen are half-moon-shaped pasta pockets filled with spinach and curd cheese, served with butter and Parmesan. They're mild, so they call for a light, pale beer like a Premium that won't overpower them. With goulash and polenta, you'd reach instead for something darker and more robust.

The region's beer culture is rooted in the tavern parlor, often with wood paneling and a tiled stove. South Tyrol is famous for its wine, but in recent years craft breweries have helped it catch up on the beer side too. In autumn, during Törggelen season, young wine takes center stage at the table.

Beer is served in small or large glasses depending on the tavern. Anyone lingering over a meal is better off ordering the small size, so the beer stays cool. And if you're driving, go alcohol-free—South Tyrol has that too: Forst carries a 0.0 percent variety in its lineup.