Very few other beverages have such a rich history like beer - in already 9,000 years BC, there were first records of brewing. Learn more about traditional Austrian beers and their brewing history, and treat yourself to a historical pint! What is Austrian beer? In Austria, the first brewers can be dated back to the early Middle Ages, around 800 AD - and they were monks! They gained more and more beer knowledge and soon enough were making some truly magificient brews. One of the oldest records on Austrian beer production is Otto von Liechtenstein-Murau's town charter from 1298, which established the quality as the basis for the price of beer. About 60 years later (in 1363), the residents of the town were granted the privilege of being able to brew and serve beer at home. The Austrian beer styles craze had truly begun! Women's role in traditional Austrian beer If you think that brewing beer is purely a man's business, you are wrong, because women were given an essential role in brewing in times gone by. In addition to baking bread, women's household chores also included brewing beer! In face, a beer kettle was often part of the dowry at the marriage.Around 1800, Austrian brewing became much more industrialised as home brewing met modern technology! This change, together with the first-class ingredients forms the foundation of the Austrian brewing industry to this day. Austrian beer styles Austria as a country of course needs no introduction - beautiful mountains, great food and even better beer! There are 226 different industrial breweries and around 130 amateur breweries dotted around the country with the most well-known being Brau Union Österreich - who brew Puntigamer, Zipfer, Gösser and other big names. Other notable names are the Stiegl brewery, Brauerei Kaltenhausen (who brew Edelweiss), Egger Bier and the Ottakringer brewery. The main beer styles brewed in Austria are lagers and Märzenbier (a traditional deep amber lager).