Beer has been with us for centuries, through good times and bad. It is precisely this tradition that lives on in Hofstetten - with our Heines Urgersten Zwickl, also affectionately known as “Altes Lager”.​

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After the Second World War, brewery owner Heinrich Krammer had to trade in his beloved car, an Austro Daimler, for a car full of barley to ensure the brewery's survival. Decades later, the car unexpectedly reappeared - as did the old barley variety that was grown in the region at the time.

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Master brewer Peter Krammer wanted to know what beer really tasted like back then. He obtained a handful of seeds of the historic “Heines Heisa” barley variety from the gene bank in Linz and persuaded organic farmers to grow it again despite lower yields. Together with traditional malting and the Mühlviertel hops “Malling”, a beer was created that brings the past to life: strong, full of character, with rough edges.

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The original hops of the Mühlviertel almost disappeared forever. Cultivation ceased during the Second World War, but after 1948 the farmers were the first to bring back the “Malling” variety - the very hops that give Heines Urgersten Zwickl its special flavor today.

Why this beer is needed:
The old brewhouse from 1929 is a living monument to the traditional art of brewing - but it only exists if it is used regularly. With every bottle of Heines Urgersten Zwickl you help to preserve this historical heritage. A beer that not only tastes great, but also makes history with every brew.​

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And what does it taste like?
Naturally cloudy and with an intense barley bitterness, it tastes even fuller than ordinary organic Zwickl. It also has a beautiful dark yellow sheen, as the barley gives it a darker and stronger color with fine-pored foam in the glass.

From a handful of seeds to the purest beer!