Austrian Whisky Trail

It’s now 27 years since Austria’s first whiskies were distilled at the Waldviertler Roggenhof Distillery in 1995. In that time the learning curve has largely been completed, the mistakes and mis-steps of the pioneers having been made, recognized and corrected. In addition to distilling knowledge, you also have enough anecdotal material that you can serve up in abundance when visitors come to the distilleries.

The Austrian Whisky Association (AWA) worked hard on this common storytelling last year A separate video series, in which the specializations of the 13 members are presented authentically, is already in the can. All in all, it also illuminates all aspects of Austrian whisky and the Austrian Whisky Trail.

A natural growth to meet demand

Jasmin Haider-Stadler remembers that the idea for this tourist offer came about in a classic way during brainstorming among distillers.“We can see that the demand is definitely there,” the AWA chairwoman also recognizes a paradigm shift. “Tourism is developing away from superficial bus tourism towards individual tourism with aspirations.” Because the exotic bonus, the “yep, they also make whisky!” factor eventually wears out. In addition, there is also a connection of the distilleries that extends over six of the nine federal states. Or, formulated by Haider-Stadler in an advertising-friendly way: “There are already a few whisky trails worldwide - but none that lead from the hilly “highlands” of Lower Austria via lush green Styria, to beautiful Salzburg and finally to the Alpine region”.

The current figures show that whisky tourism is booming: the more than 134 distilleries in Scotland recorded 2.2 million visitors last year. Despite Corona, this number has doubled since 2013, according to the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA). The Kentucky Bourbon Trail with its 41 stations reported almost 1.5 million visitors. And at least when setting up their trail, the Australians were far quicker than the island model and the Americans. Because it was not until 1969 that the first Scottish “Visitor Center” for tourists (near Glenfiddich) was opened, the Bourbon Trail has only existed since 1999.

Taking a more considered approach for connoisseurs

In Austria, every interested visitor should be able to put together their own route to the companies. A whisky tasting, which varies depending on the establishment, is always part of the visit. These guided tours and tastings should also be possible in small groups. The “trail”, as it is advertised digitally and possibly also as a folder, also takes family members traveling with you or “designated drivers” into consideration. For them there are hand-picked excursion destinations along the suggested routes, which were recommended by the distillers themselves. There are two combinations of alpacas and single malts: David Gölles (” Ruotker’s “) likes to send his visitors to the Englishman Philip Ranson and his “Cria Valley” alpacas in Riegersburg.

Brenner Florian Kuenz’s Oberbacherhof even offers its own animals for trekking in the East Tyrolean Alps. Vulkanland distiller Roman Schmidt, on the other hand, sends tourists from one maturing warehouse to the next, namely to the Vulcano ham factory. Schmidt, who runs an advertising agency in addition to his “Lava-Bräu”, is also responsible for the implementation of this flagship of whisky country Austria. It will be managed as a subpage of austrian-whisky.at. If all goes well, from March. But the man from Feldbach already has good news: “A bus operator in our region has already expressed an interest in including an AWA tour in the program.”

The continental whisky trail

The continental trail benefits from an essential factor for visitors: the stages are predestined to visit several distilleries. There are five - four in the Waldviertel and the Mostviertler organic distillery Josef Farthofers - along the 120-kilometer Lower Austria stage. In addition to the Haider pioneer company and the northernmost whisky distillery, Günther Mayer’s “Granit”, two real farmhouse distillers are also waiting on the “Trail”: Oswald Weidenauer, a specialist in malted and unmalted oat brandies, and Hermann Rogner, on whose farm there is also a smoked malt kiln.

In Vorarlberg, Pfanner, Broger and Keckeis are even closer together within 34 kilometers of malts like a string of pearls. However, the operating philosophies are sufficiently different. While Harald Keckeis relies on a standard product that is as similar as possible explicitly for use in bars and the hotel industry diversity reigns among the AWA colleagues in the Rhine Valley. Walter Pfanner loves his cask finishes, the latest addition came from Jerez, but Austrian winemaker casks also spend their second life in Lauterach.

Grain varies and yeast strains

On the other hand, if you appreciate the variety of grain, you should stop by the Broger family of distillers in Klaus. A lot is distilled here, from the rare corn, which otherwise graced the Vorarlberg breakfast table, to spelt. Among other things they offer a smoke bomb, which also some Islay malts look tame. The variety under the signet of the local mountain world on the bottle label is of recent date: “It was impossible to get barley in Vorarlberg back then,” Eugen Broger remembers the beginnings in 2008. This development can now also be traced on the tour.

With the Mandlberg-Gut in Radstadt there is even something like an unofficial “whisky hotel”. A completely new house has been built for small groups next to the “Dachstein Distillery” at 900 meters above sea level. With Theresa Warter, you not only meet one of the few whisky distillers there, but also her sister Katharina, who produces cosmetics from mountain pine oil, which is also distilled on the mountain. A brewery is used to process the malt on the Dachstein, and in the southernmost section of the Whisky Trail there is even a brewery’s still. Valentin Latschen’s “Peacock"uses the old storage cellars of the Zuge brewery in Klagenfurt, but also brewer’s yeast: “The top-fermenting yeast becomes fruity,” says the distiller, who does not want this taste to be impaired by barrel finishes.

As with Latschen, there are also a number of fruit brandies in addition to the single malt in the southernmost travel destination - the Kuenz brothers also operate one of the largest apple orchards in Tyrol near Lienz. Which in turn fits perfectly with the motto that Jasmin Haider-Stadlers issued at the start of the trail: “Austria is a country for connoisseurs that now has one more highlight.”