The best local craft beers by Vienna microbreweries and the bars where to get them

All the golden (or dark) nectar served up at the beloved burger and beer bar, Beaver Brewing Company, is brewed in house, with its big kettles on display in the dining room. No less than eight of their own concoctions flow from the taps behind the bar. If you’re feeling adventurous, try a pint of their Infusion Tower – it’s a Pale Ale mixed with freshly sliced fruit.

The Beaver is often packed, and the main reasons for this include its excellent beer, their extremely hospitable staff, and the quality pub food on the menu. The staff are always friendly and ensure you’re never found wanting for a new brew to replace your empty glass. If you’re unsure about what beer to go for, ask for a sample. It’s that kind of place.

In summer, their outdoor ‘deck’ is a great place to catch some sun.

Recommended beer: If you’re feeling adventurous, try a Porter, or a Strong Dark Ale. For a classic, easy-going beer, go for the Great Lakes Pale Ale.

They call themselves the nomad brewers, but they go by the name Collabs brewery. Having begun one day in the ‘pub palace of beer’ Hawidere, they now wander from brewery to brewery giving birth to a variety of different brews. Creativity can be found in the brew variations and the names. Take the Viennese interpretation of a Berlin Weisse, ‘the Sauer? Lump!’ – which really does live up to its name of being sour. While their modern take of a Pils, the ‘Domrep Pils’, has proven a hit amongst beer aficionados. Good things always happen when beer lovers start making their own beer, especially when they team up with other breweries, which sees knowledge and skill combined.

Where will I find this Vienna brew?

+ Charlie P’s
+ Mel’s Diner
+ Brauhund
+ Hawidere

Going about their craft in an old piano factory in the 23rd district of Vienna is the talented team from 100 Blumen beer. Like the best of the true microbreweries, this began as a grassroots project, which grew out of a hobby learnt from hundreds of Youtube videos and plenty of travel chasing different variations of beer around the globe. In their beer ranks is a Lager, and a Pils, and both brews do what they say they set out to do – break the conventions of beer and create something original. You can get more info. about this beer with a beautiful name, 100 flowers, on their website.

Where will I find this Vienna brew?

+ Malefitz
+ Landkind
+ Brauhund
+ Omnom burger

“Would you like a menu, der Herr?” the waitress asks the passing old man.
“No, I already have it in my head”, he mumbles back.
The waitress laughs and remarks that she likes that, and we do too. We’d safely say that if your customers are memorising your menu, it’s a healthy sign that you’re doing something right.

The Lichtenthalerbräu is a creative craft beer brewery in the body of a warm Gasthaus (tavern/pub). In amidst its cosy atmosphere (which hits you before you even walk in from its dark maroon facade outside) you can sip on a regularly changing selection of 4 or more craft beers right next to where the action happens – the copper brewing barrel plonked at the head of the dining room. All of the beers are brewed by the Braumeister (except the occasional guest beer) who obviously lives up to the claim in the menu – “the beer is handmade with a lot of love.” These words ring true to the Lichtenthalerbräu, in general.
There’s also a permenant resident beer, the Lichtenthaler Helles – unfiltered (like all the beer brewed here) pale lager which goes down a treat. I also feast on a pint of the Rosemary IPA (a spiced Indian Pale Ale containing wild Slovakian Rosemary), and when we say feast, we mean it. It’s a meal in itself, with a deliciously malty and chocolaty flavor.
Most of the menu here could be categorised as your typical Viennese kitchen found in a Gasthaus, but there are also the odd surprises, like the blue cheese burger.

You can’t really call this a beer coming out of a microbrewery, but it is a quality craft beer, nonetheless. The spin off of the last remaining big ass brewery in Vienna, the Ottakringer Brauerei, is the craft beer series, Brauwerk. Ottakringer was one of the first Austrian big beer brands to branch off into the craft beer direction when the trend started to creep into the city. And they’re doing a damn fine job of it. While they haven’t been too creative with naming their craft brews – Hausmarke 1 to 4 – they are just as complex in flavours as the best of them. Their version of Blond is the bomb, while their Imperial Vienna lager and Session IPA are original and special in their own right. You can enjoy tastings, or buy up on the brew during special tastings held at the actual brewery (keep an eye on their website for details), otherwise, it has made it onto many a menus in bars and restaurants around town.

Where will I find this Vienna brew?

+ Charlie P’s
+ Sneak In
+ Fassldippler
+ Hawidere
+ Addicted to Rock

In the subterranean of the craft beer store, Beerlovers, on Gumperndorferstrasse there’s some serious brewing going on. A couple of big and shiny copper-coloured brewing barrels make up the Muttermilch microbrewery operation run by Markus Betz and Marina Ebner. It’s original name and branding makes it stand out wherever it pops up. It’s core variety is made up of a Pils name Bitta von Tresen and a so-called Wiener lager, named, ‘Wiener Bubi’ (it’s obvious they’ve had some fun with their concept and design). You can find out more about this curious little Vienna brew on their website.

The best spot to pick up a Muttermilch brew is the shop above where the brewing happens, Beerlovers. 

Where will I find this Vienna brew?
+ Mel’s Craft beers and diner
+ Hawidere