Hops

No hops grow in Vienna itself; the city buys them in. Austrian hops come mainly from the Mühlviertel and from Styria, though the big breweries also source from other countries. Vienna Lager is, in any case, a beer where hops stay in the background.

Bitterness is measured in IBU, a number for the bittering compounds in beer. By style guidelines, Vienna Lager sits at 18 to 30 IBU, while a Pilsner usually runs well above that. The bitterness is meant to support the sweet malt, not mask it.

For this, classic noble hops are used, hops that smell spicy and floral but carry little sharp bitterness. Typical varieties are Saaz from Bohemia and Styrian Golding from Slovenia. Both are hops traditionally found in central European lagers.

A distinction is made between bittering hops and aroma hops. Bittering hops are high in alpha acid, the substance that provides bitterness during the boil, and go into the kettle early. Aroma hops are added late, since their fragrant oils would otherwise escape with the steam. In Vienna Lager, both are used sparingly.

The result tastes of bread and grass, with a dry finish that doesn't linger or burn. If you're coming from a Pilsner or a hazy IPA, you may almost miss the hops here.

This suits Viennese cuisine. In a Beisl, the beer usually sits alongside Schnitzel or Gulasch, and a lager with mild hops doesn't push itself forward there. The hops are meant to accompany the food, and with Ottakringer and Schwechater that happens without any grand gesture.