Food & Beer Culture

In the Mühlviertel, beer belongs at a tavern with a wooden table, and what's served there is hearty and down-to-earth: roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut, potato dishes, and a Brettljause platter with homemade bread, bacon, and cheese. The cuisine here is farmhouse cooking through and through.

Why does this pair so well with beer? A roast pork with a crispy crust calls for malty sweetness to balance the fat, and a mild bitterness to keep the palate fresh. A Zwickl does this almost effortlessly, while a dark bock complements the gravy and the crust beautifully.

The dumpling soaks up the gravy and needs a beer that won't fight against it in flavor. Mühlviertel beers are practically made for this, being soft and not overly hoppy. With a Brettljause platter, a Zwickl is especially good, since it shares similar roasted notes with the bacon and bread.

Beer in this region is a communal affair. In Freistadt, the brewery belongs to the townspeople, and you can feel it: the town enjoys drinking its beer together, in good company. When raising a toast, people look each other in the eye and say "Prost" before the glass ever touches the table.

The Bierviertel brings the breweries together into a single region of enjoyment, offering tours, tastings, and brewing seminars. Spending a day in the Mühlviertel, you could start the morning in Freistadt, have lunch in Hofstetten, and end the evening at the Stiftsbrauerei Schlägl.

The usual serving sizes are the small Seidel and the half-liter Krügerl. Those who truly enjoy beer drink it slowly, alongside food and water, and leave the car at home.