Salzburg Beer
The Pocket Guide to the Best Beer & Breweries in Salzburg is an essential must read that will ensure you don’t miss any of the town’s top beers, beer halls, brewpubs or beer gardens. As a general rule, you will find Märzen on tap at most venues. The Austrian variety differs quite a bit from what you find in Bavaria. Whereas the latter is often a deep amber with a slightly higher alcohol content, the Austrian ones tend to be lighter in both color and strength. Don’t worry, in their case they remain very full-flavored with a nice spicy character which makes them infinitely quaffable. The other beer you’ll tend to find is Weissbier, a wheat beer particularly refreshing on a warm day. These are similar to those in Bavaria, with a fruity palate.
some of the beery treats in Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg is rightfully most renowned for its stunning setting in the Austrian Alps. Most heading this way come for the Baroque architecture, Mozart history and to do a Sound of Music tour. To be honest, Salzburg hasn’t made it into the higher echelon of beer destinations but it does have one venue which is on most beer lovers’ bucket list.
non-beery attractions in Salzburg
Augustinerbräu Kloster Mülln
Augustinerbräu dates back to 1621 and though no longer brewed by monks, the beer is very much made traditionally. From open fermentation to cool ships, this is how beer should be made. Just one sip and you’ll understand. The over 50,000 sq ft beer hall is as cavernous as it is atmospheric. This is old world drinking at it’s very best. The best part is it’s not just a tourist destination. There are plenty of locals, attested by numerous Stammtische, tables for regulars. If that’s not enough, there’s a leafy beer garden out back which seats an additional 1400 people in summer!
atmospheric Augustinerbräu
Augustinerbräu beer & protocol
Whether you sit in the old world atmospheric Bräustübl or in the leafy Biergarten, you have the choice of either waiter service or self-service. It is nominally more expensive to have the beer brought to you. Even if that’s your preference, you should at least do one on your own for the experience. Grab a Steinkrug in either half-liter or liter size from one of the obvious shelves, rinse it out with some cold water at the equally obvious sinks. Pay for your beer at the cashier and bring your mug and receipt up to the wooden barrels. The tapper will pour one of the most gorgeous beers you’ll ever have. These are real wooden barrels and the beer is gravity dispensed. This is an increasingly rare serving style and one to be cherished.
grab a mug
Generally, there is just one beer: their signature Märzen. During Lent, they have a Fastenbier and a Bock in late autumn. They have little signs on the tables if they’re available. So, be sure to give them a try if you’re lucky with your timing.
tasty beers of Augustinerbräu in Salzburg
the food & how to get there
Even if you choose to have your beers served by waiters, the food is all self-service. There is a long food hall with various stands so you can see what you are getting. As you might imagine, pork plays prominently but there are enough other dishes to make everyone happy. There is a smaller one out by the beer garden but for variety, this one is best. Everything is simply presented so think of them as snacks to be shared for best results.
Augustinerbräu is located in Mülln which has its own train stop but it’s not included with a Bavarian day ticket. Unless you’re spending the night, it’s probably not worth utilizing it. To be honest, a beer tastes best after a walk and the views on the way there are excellent as well. It’s about a 20-minute walk from the Old Town center and a fair amount of it is uphill. See Salzburg Beer Map below.
If you like Weissbier: Die Weisse
Founded in 1902, Die Weisse is Austria’s oldest Weissbier brewery. It also claims to be the only remaining small privately owned brewery in the country. It’s a cozy venue in an Old World way with lots of wood. If there in summer, there is a courtyard beer garden with lovely trees. In both areas, it’s a restaurant with full service and a good selection of meals.
inside & out: a beauty
Die Weisse beer & food
Though primarily a Weissbier brewery, they also do an Austrian Märzen and Helles. These latter beers are in line with local big brewery Stiegl-Bräu’s products. I’d say they’re even a notch better. If you like Weissbier, however, be sure to try their range of those plus any seasonal that’s available. These are generally only available in bottles.
I’ve eaten here quite a few times and have always been happy. Salzburg beer restaurants all seem to have the same dishes. Try goulash or Spinat Knödl, the latter being good for non-meat eaters. Beware though, these spinach dumplings are generally smothered in melted butter and extremely tasty for it. Another dish to seek out in Salzburg is Backhendl, their version of fried chicken. Needless to say, Wiener Schnitzel is on every menu!
Please note, Die Weisse is located in the Schallmoos neighborhood of Salzburg. This is a little removed from the main tourist area but an interesting one to see. It’s well worth the short walk. See Salzburg Beer Map below.
Stiegl-Keller
Stiegl-Bräu is the big player in the Salzburg brewery world, dating back to 1492. Understandably, you will see their beers all over town. Their Brauwelt Beer Experience is meant to be quite good but I’ve not yet made it to its outskirts location. It’s for good reason, as the Stiegl-Keller is right in the Old Town. It’s been there since 1820 when the brewery needed a cold storage facility for their beer and found a perfect location. The Beer Garden above has been serving beer since not long after. With a fabulous view of the Salzburg Cathedral, it’s a rightfully popular place.
images of Stiegl-Keller
Whether in their cozy Old World interior or sitting out in the lovely Biergarten in summer, Stiegl-Keller is a must stop. It’s best to plan a meal around it as they have some of the best food in town, as well. That’s easy to do as most of the main sights in town are within minutes on foot. Add to all that, a full line-up of the Stiegl-Bräu beers on tap and you could easily spend a few hours soaking up the atmosphere and suds. There’s a Helles, Goldbräu, Zwickl, Pils, Weissbier and even a Gluten-free beer. There’s generally one seasonal but I got lucky as there were two. One was a Spezial and the other a Osterbock. It’s a good thing they offer .3l pours! I quite liked their Zwickl but be sure to ask your server what the seasonal beer is.
just a few of the Stiegl-Bräu beers on tap
Stern-Bräu
The original Stern-Bräu was founded in 1542 when there would have been dozens of similar brewpubs in the Old Town of Salzburg. It moved operations to a nearby suburb in 1907. That was until 1956 when brewing ceased altogether. Since 2014, Hofbräu Kaltenhausen has contract brewed the Sternbier. It’s certainly well-located right in the Old Town so it’s easy to stop in. That’s just what I did but I have to admit to not being back. The beer was decent and if you’re in town for more than a day, I’d say give it a try.
Stern-Bräu Sternbier
Fuxn- Salzburger Volkswirstschaft
There are countless pubs and restaurants in Salzburg but Fuxn seems to be particularly noteworthy. Housed in an atmospheric old Wirtshaus in the Schallmoos area, it was surely a country inn back in the day. It has a pleasant Biergarten and varied menu featuring some vegetarian/vegan options. The big attraction is six beers on tap including two contract-brewed for them by Biobrauerei Gusswerk. Their Volksbier is always available along with one seasonal beer. The guest beer line-up is certainly eclectic: Tegernsee Hell, Trumer Pils, Schönramer Weissbier and the Czech Original Budweisser. I’ve only been once and the Volksbier was decent. If you are over by Die Weisse, it’s worth combining as they are in the same area.
Fuxn is a worth detour
How to get to Salzburg & a one-day itinerary
You can easily reach Salzburg from Munich on hourly trains which take just under two hours. There are very slightly faster Austrian trains but if using a Bavaria Ticket, they are not included. For the flexibility and price, I’ve always used the German trains. Please note that since Salzburg is across the border, local transportation in town is not included in the train ticket. Getting around Salzburg is quite easy on foot.
For those who find a five-brewery stop day too much, the thing to keep in mind is that Augustinerbräu is the only true can’t miss location. If you are only going for the day and want to limit yourself to one place, this is the venue. That said, it opens at 14:00 on weekends and 15:00 during the week so with an early start, you can have a full lunch at Die Weisse or if you want to stay more central, Stiegl-Keller. Save some room for snacks at Augustiner and you’re all set.
Salzburg Beer Map:
I hope The Pocket Guide to the Best Beer & Breweries in Salzburg helps make your trip to the Salzburg a great one. If so, please consider buying me a beer 🍺!
If you’re coming from or going to Munich, join me for a guided Beer Hike in Bavaria: Munich Beer & Food Tours.
Austria is great. Chances are you’ll like Bavaria too. Enjoy this blog on the beer, food and hiking in not so far Murnau.
Beer Hike Food Experiences departing from Munich:
Thanks for the info. Went to the Augustiner in December 2023 – first time sitting inside (beer garden closed in winter – only other visit was in summer). Such a great atmosphere. Even the non drinkers in my group loved the place. Went to Stern-brau and thought it was just ok. Stiegl is everywhere – but I didn’t know of their location in the alstadt…nor did I know that Weisse was just a few blocks from my hotel or I would have tried one or both. I prefer locations with some old world atmosphere (which we don’t get in the states) so Fuxn looks interesting. Thanks for the information.
Thanks, Matt. Wish I could have had it ready for your last trip. We generally go to Augustiner but with the late opening time, there’s generally time for lunch at Die Weisse. We mix it up with the Stiegl-Keller sometimes due to its view more than the beer. The food is quite similar in both. The Keller is pretty Old World and worth a stop.