Food & Tradition

A quince brandy pairs better with Linzer Torte than one might expect. Its shortcrust pastry with ground nuts, spices and redcurrant jam brings acidity and spice, and the tart brandy takes the sweetness seriously without overpowering it. The lattice of pastry on top is the torte's hallmark.

In the countryside, the perry tasting belongs to the perry year. At the Mostkost, which gained renewed popularity in the 1980s, farms in the Hausruck showcase their pear and apple perries. In good years, perry farmers once produced over 500 hectoliters, and in many families the perry was drunk diluted, especially by women and children.

A tart perry pear brandy rounds off a farmhouse platter of smoked meats, bacon and cheese nicely. A small sip of a pear brandy also suits a bacon dumpling with sauerkraut, since the fruit offsets the richness of the fat. Traditionally, the glass is served at the end of the meal, not in between.

In Upper Austria, brandy is a gesture of hospitality, not a drinking game. A small glass of Edelbrand is offered when guests arrive, and it stays at just the one small glass. Anyone asking about local tradition at a farmhouse is usually shown perry and bread first.

The Edelbrand made in Axberg does not belong in the Hausruck kitchen but in the world of restaurants. Even the very first bottles from 1995 found their way into Viennese fine dining. Both worlds — the rural one with its perry and the refined one with its Edelbrand — exist side by side in Upper Austria.