Beer and Wine of the Tyrol Region: From Alpine Lagers to Mountain Vines

When people think of Austrian drinks, beer tends to come first to mind — and for good reason. Tyrol is home to a brewing tradition as crisp and refreshing as the mountain streams that feed it. Local breweries like Zillertal Bier and Starkenberger have been perfecting their lagers for centuries. These beers are clean, malty, and balanced, designed to be drunk by the half-litre after a day outdoors.

You’ll find Märzen — Austria’s most popular beer style — on tap almost everywhere. It’s a smooth amber lager, mildly hoppy, endlessly drinkable. Darker options like Dunkles and Bockbier show up in colder months, offering richer malt flavours.

But Tyrol also has a surprising wine story. The region’s steep slopes might seem inhospitable, but in the lower valleys and sun-trapped terraces, vines thrive. The most common grape varieties here are white — Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, and Müller-Thurgau — producing wines with crisp acidity and minerality that pairs beautifully with alpine cheese and fish. Red wines, often from Zweigelt or Blaufränkisch, tend to come from slightly warmer spots, such as around the Inn Valley.

Don’t forget Schnaps — not the sweet liqueur kind, but clear, fiery fruit brandies distilled from plums, pears, or apricots.

Whether you’re sipping a cold lager on a sunlit terrace or tasting wine in a small cellar, drinks in Tyrol are always part of the larger picture: good company, good food, and the alpine air to make it all taste better.