Tasting

What does a Mühlviertel beer taste like? Most are soft, bready, and lightly hopped, with a fine, spicy bitterness rather than a sharp one. First-time tasters notice just how round the granite-filtered water makes these beers.

For getting started, the three houses of the Bierviertel are a great entry point. The Braucommune in Freistadt brews its beers under the name Freistädter, the Hofstetten brewery bottles Zwickl, Granitbock, and Steinbier, and the Stiftsbrauerei Schlägl belongs to the Premonstratensian abbey in the Upper Mühlviertel.

A Zwickl belongs in a large Seidel glass or a Krügerl with a handle. The yeast clouds the beer, and the handle keeps it cool, since the warmth of your hand can make it go flat faster. A bock, on the other hand, goes in a bulbous glass that captures aroma and warmth.

The right serving temperature for a Zwickl is around seven to nine degrees Celsius, while a bock can be served a touch warmer. Beer served too cold tastes flat, because the chill numbs both aroma and hop character. Smell first, then drink in small sips.

When pouring, tilt the glass and let the beer run down the side, then straighten it up and give the foam room to build. With a Zwickl, the head should be firm and fine-pored, otherwise the carbonation escapes too quickly.

For those who want to dig deeper, Freistadt offers the chance to become a brewmaster for a day and brew your own batch. For visitors, this is a great opportunity to follow the full journey from malt to glass, rather than just drinking the finished beer.