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Vienna lager: the style that nearly died out

The history of beer is full of styles that flourished and then nearly disappeared. One of the most interesting examples is Vienna lager - an amber, malty style created in Austria, which nearly died out in its homeland and was saved in a surprising way by… Mexico. It is a tale of Vienna malt, a brilliant brewer, decline and a remarkable revival on the other side of the ocean. Vienna lager is not only a beer style, but also a fascinating story of how beer travels across continents and eras. In this post you will get to know the history of Vienna lager, its creator Anton Dreher, Vienna malt, the flavour of the style and its journey to Mexico. It is a journey through the history of beer and geography. Let us start with the birth of this style in 19th-century Austria.

The birth in Vienna

Vienna lager traces its roots to 1841, when Austrian brewmaster Anton Dreher created the style at the Schwechat brewery near Vienna. It was a breakthrough moment in the history of beer. Dreher, inspired by cutting-edge British malting techniques, pioneered the use of pale, kilned malts, which allowed for lighter-coloured beers compared to the darker, smoky brews common at the time. It was a revolution: the transition from dark, cloudy beers towards clear, amber lagers. Dreher was a pioneer of modern brewing, and his Vienna lager became one of the first pale, elegant bottom-fermenting beers. Interestingly, Dreher collaborated and competed with other lager pioneers of that era, at a time when lagering and pale malts were changing the face of beer in Central Europe. The birth of Vienna lager is the moment when modern technology met vision, giving rise to a new style. It is the foundation of this whole story. So let us get to know the key ingredient of this beer - Vienna malt.

Vienna malt

The heart of Vienna lager is Vienna malt - it is what gives the style its character. Vienna malt, a newly developed, lightly kilned barley malt, provided the amber colour and a toasty, rounded sweetness to the finished beer. It was Dreher key innovation: using new malting techniques, inspired by the British, to obtain a malt of an intermediate degree of kilning - lighter than dark malts, but darker than the palest. This malt is to this day the foundation of the style and bears the name of the region in which it was created. It gives Vienna lager its characteristic amber, copper colour and delicate, toasty, slightly caramel malt notes, without heaviness or a roasted character. It is Vienna malt, not the hops or yeast, that defines this style. Without it there is no real Vienna lager. Vienna malt is the heritage of Dreher, an ingredient that survived and is used in brewing to this day, far beyond the Vienna lager style itself. It is proof of how one malting innovation can shape a whole style. So let us get to know how the beer from this malt tastes.

The flavour of Vienna lager

Vienna lager is a beer of a characteristic, balanced profile, in which malt reigns. It has an amber to copper colour, coming from Vienna malt. In flavour delicate, toasty, slightly caramel and bready malt notes dominate, rounded and pleasant, but not heavy or over-sweet. The hop bitterness is moderate, enough to balance the malt, but not dominant - it is a malty, not hoppy beer. The finish is relatively dry and clean, typical of a well-attenuated bottom-fermenting lager. Vienna lager is an elegant and drinkable style: enough character to be interesting, but enough balance to drink with pleasure. It is a beer of moderate strength, medium body and a clean, lager profile. The flavour of Vienna lager is the harmony of toasty malt and clean fermentation - an elegant classic of Central European brewing. It is a style that delights with subtlety, not loudness. The flavour of Vienna lager best captures Dreher philosophy: elegance and balance. So let us get to know why this beautiful style nearly disappeared.

The decline in Austria

Despite its initial success, Vienna lager nearly died out in its homeland. The style that Dreher sent out into the world gradually faded away in its home town, falling victim to changes in taste and the consequences of World War I. After Dreher death, sourcing quality malts became more of a luxury rather than a requirement, resulting in Austrian brewers adopting lower quality malts in favour of higher profit margins. In other words, economics and market changes displaced the demanding, quality style. Added to this were historical upheavals, like wars and political changes, which destroyed many brewing traditions of Central Europe. The style is now nearly extinct in its area of origin. It is a bitter irony: the beer that revolutionised European brewing nearly disappeared where it was born. The decline of Vienna lager in Austria is an example of how a style can be forgotten despite its value. If not for a surprising twist, Vienna lager could have passed into history. But fate willed otherwise - the style was saved by a country on the other side of the ocean. Let us get to know this remarkable story.

The rescue from Mexico

The most fascinating twist in the history of Vienna lager is its rescue by Mexico. The style destined for extinction was saved thanks to political upheavals on the other side of the world. How did it happen? The style continues in Mexico, where it was brought by Santiago Graf and other Austrian immigrant brewers in the late 19th century. During the brief reign of Emperor Maximilian (an Austrian archduke) in Mexico and a wave of European immigration, Austrian brewers carried their style across the ocean. There Vienna lager took root and survived, while in Austria it was fading away. Over time the Mexican versions evolved: modern Mexican versions became lighter and sweeter due to the increased use of adjuncts in the grist, giving the style known today as Mexican lager. It is an astonishing story: an Austrian style, nearly extinct in its homeland, survived and flourished in Mexico, to return from there to beer awareness. The rescue from Mexico is proof of how beer travels across continents and how unexpected the fate of a style can be. It is one of the most beautiful stories in the world of beer. We write more about lagers in our post on Bavarian lagers.

Vienna lager today

Today Vienna lager is experiencing a revival, especially thanks to the craft beer movement. Craft breweries around the world, valuing historical and classic styles, rediscovered Vienna lager and began brewing it, often returning to Dreher original recipe with Vienna malt. It is a return to the roots: to the elegant, malty, amber lager it originally was. At the same time the Mexican branch of the style still exists, lighter and with adjuncts, popular as a refreshing beer. Vienna lager thus has two faces today: the original, Austrian, recreated by craft, and the Mexican, evolved version. Both descend from Dreher, but went different ways. It is fascinating that a nearly extinct style gained a second life thanks to both the Mexican tradition and the craft revival. Vienna lager today is living proof that no style is lost forever. It is a story that is still being written. Vienna lager returned from near oblivion to once again delight beer lovers. It is a beautiful example of the revival of beer heritage.

Vienna lager in a table

Let us set the key facts about Vienna lager side by side:

The table shows the remarkable history of Vienna lager. Created by Anton Dreher in 1841, based on the innovative Vienna malt giving an amber colour and toastiness, of a balanced, malty flavour. It nearly died out in Austria through changes in taste and World War I, but was saved by Mexico, where Austrian immigrants brought it. Today it is experiencing a revival thanks to craft. It is a story of the birth, decline and revival of a style that travelled across continents. Vienna lager is proof of the remarkable fate of beer.

Why it is worth getting to know Vienna lager

Getting to know Vienna lager enriches the knowledge of beer and its history. First, it is a fascinating tale of how a beer style can nearly die out and then be reborn thanks to unexpected circumstances. Second, Vienna lager is an elegant, malty, balanced style, worth trying for the flavour itself - a classic of Central European brewing. Third, the history of the style shows how beer travels across continents and eras, linking Austria and Mexico in an unexpected way. Fourth, appreciating the role of Anton Dreher and Vienna malt deepens the understanding of the history of brewing. Fifth, it is an example of how the craft movement saves and revives forgotten styles. A conscious beer lover knows that behind a seemingly simple amber lager may hide a fascinating history. Next time, seeing a Vienna lager, it is worth trying it and thinking about its remarkable journey across the ocean. It is knowledge that deepens the appreciation of beer and its rich history. Vienna lager is a style that survived against all odds.

The key points in a nutshell

Vienna lager is an amber, malty beer style created by Anton Dreher at the Schwechat brewery near Vienna in 1841. Its heart is Vienna malt, a lightly kilned barley malt giving an amber colour and a toasty, rounded sweetness. The flavour is malty, toasty, balanced, with moderate bitterness and a dry finish. The style nearly died out in Austria through changes in taste and the consequences of World War I, when brewers switched to cheaper malts. It was saved by Mexico, where Austrian immigrants brought it in the late 19th century, and the Mexican versions became lighter through adjuncts. Today it is experiencing a revival thanks to craft. Want to get to know historical beer styles and record your impressions? Keep tasting notes in the GustoNote app. See also our posts on Bavarian lagers and on specialty malts.