Food & Tradition

What dishes pair well with an Obstler? In Tyrol, with whatever lands on the table at the mountain hut: Tiroler Gröstl with potatoes, meat and a fried egg, Kaspressknödel in soup, bacon and mountain cheese. A small Obstler at the end of the meal is part of the ritual at the hut, and in East Tyrol, a local Pregler is often poured for the same purpose.

Sweet dishes call for a different mood. With Kiachl, the deep-fried pastry, and with Kaiserschmarrn, a clear brandy that cuts through the sweetness works well, such as an apple brandy or a Pregler. A rich Gröstl, on the other hand, can be balanced by a dry Vogelbeerbrand.

Does a schnapps after a meal aid digestion? Measurements suggest otherwise, since alcohol actually slows gastric emptying. The relief felt afterward comes from relaxation, not digestion. Anyone who drinks an Obstler after Gröstl or bacon with mountain cheese is mostly feeling the calm of the hut, not a faster stomach.

The distilling season is part of local tradition. Distilling happens in winter, preparation in autumn, and the Tyrolean Schnapps Route invites visitors to watch the producers at work. Home distilling and the Schnapps Route go hand in hand, since both come from the same farms.

In the Wildschönau valley, people still tell of the imperial privilege granted to 51 farms, and of the turnip that may only become schnapps there. Krautinger is a brandy people talk about before they ever taste it, and it stands as a symbol of the distinctive, stubborn character of Tyrolean distilling culture.