Austrian Lager traces back to the Vienna school of malt-forward amber lagers and today covers pale Märzen- and Helles-adjacent styles as well as dark lagers. The hopIQ Score for Austrian Lager evaluates each beer against its sub-style reference and weights medals from style-judged competitions.
Currently leading the ranking: Fohrenburger Jubiläum (Brauerei Fohrenburg), Murauer Märzen (Murauer Brauerei) and Hirter 1270 (Privatbrauerei Hirt). Stieglbrauerei zu Salzburg places 3 of the top 10.
How this ranking works
The hopIQ Score judges every beer against its style first: it rewards medals from competitions that judge within style categories and deducts points where a beer measurably deviates from its style reference. Community ratings add to that. Non-alcoholic excluded. No paid placement — order follows the data alone. Ranking spans 95 beers from 27 breweries.
Top 5 of 50
ABV
5.5%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Colour
golden 5
Fohrenburger Jubiläum is the brewery's main beer and a Vorarlberg Spezialbier, the regional counterpart to a German-style Export: 12.8 degrees Plato and 5.5 percent, a little stronger than the Märzen that dominates the rest of Austria. It…Fohrenburger Jubiläum is the brewery's main beer and a Vorarlberg Spezialbier, the regional counterpart to a German-style Export: 12.8 degrees Plato and 5.5 percent, a little stronger than the Märzen that dominates the rest of Austria. It pours pale gold and brilliantly clear under a fine white head. The nose shows light malt, straw and bread dough with a floral, gently spicy hop; on the palate soft malt sweetness and a hint of honey meet a fine grainy bitterness, and the finish stays clean and moderately hoppy.
Murauer Märzen#55 worldwide
ABV
5.2%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Colour
golden 6
The flagship Styrian alpine lager — harmonious, well-balanced, and mildly hop-bitter with characteristic golden-yellow colour. Brewed with alpine spring water from the Mur valley. The definitive beer of the Upper Styrian Alps, enjoyed from…The flagship Styrian alpine lager — harmonious, well-balanced, and mildly hop-bitter with characteristic golden-yellow colour. Brewed with alpine spring water from the Mur valley. The definitive beer of the Upper Styrian Alps, enjoyed from ski slopes to Murau's medieval town square.
Hirter 1270#223 worldwide
ABV
5.0%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Colour
amber 14
Named after the brewery's founding year — an amber Vienna Lager honouring 750+ years of Carinthian brewing heritage. Copper-amber with toasted malt and gentle hop bitterness. The premium expression of Hirter's historic identity. Ranked on fit to the Lager reference, award history in style-judged competitions and community ratings.
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Kaiser Fasstyp#301 worldwide
ABV
5.0%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Colour
pale gold 4
Kaiser Fasstyp is the everyday lager of the brand and is poured fresh in many Austrian inns. Brewed from barley malt to an original gravity of 11.6 °P, it shows a golden yellow colour. The aroma is layered, with hop and grain notes side by…Kaiser Fasstyp is the everyday lager of the brand and is poured fresh in many Austrian inns. Brewed from barley malt to an original gravity of 11.6 °P, it shows a golden yellow colour. The aroma is layered, with hop and grain notes side by side. On the palate light cereal and sweet malt come through with hints of honey and dry grass; the body is light and the finish short and crisp, with the hops staying in the background.
5
Stiegl-Goldbräu#446 worldwide
ABV
4.9%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Colour
pale gold 4
Stiegl's flagship — a golden, clean and refreshing Helles-style lager with a gentle malt sweetness and soft Hallertau hop character. The definitive beer of Salzburg. Ranked on fit to the Lager reference, award history in style-judged competitions and community ratings.
Ranks 6–10
6
Ottakringer Wiener Original#539 worldwide
Based on a 100-year-old Vienna Lager recipe — the style that Anton Dreher invented in Vienna in 1841 and that became the template for Mexican beers like Dos Equis Amber and Negra Modelo. Copper-amber with toasted malt character and gentle…Based on a 100-year-old Vienna Lager recipe — the style that Anton Dreher invented in Vienna in 1841 and that became the template for Mexican beers like Dos Equis Amber and Negra Modelo. Copper-amber with toasted malt character and gentle hop bitterness. The authentic Vienna Lager from the city that created the style.
7
Stiegl Pils#570 worldwide
Stiegl's elegant pilsner — slender and pale with a magnificent head and the bouquet of finest Saaz hops. Grainy undertones with characteristic hoppy notes that linger in the finish. Brewed with Untersberg spring water for a clean, dry…Stiegl's elegant pilsner — slender and pale with a magnificent head and the bouquet of finest Saaz hops. Grainy undertones with characteristic hoppy notes that linger in the finish. Brewed with Untersberg spring water for a clean, dry finish.
8
Ottakringer Helles#634 worldwide
Vienna's defining everyday beer — the '16er Hüs'n' in local slang, referring to the 16th district. Clean, golden, and refreshing with subtle malt sweetness and gentle hop bitterness. The beer of Vienna's Heurigen, Würstelstände, and…Vienna's defining everyday beer — the '16er Hüs'n' in local slang, referring to the 16th district. Clean, golden, and refreshing with subtle malt sweetness and gentle hop bitterness. The beer of Vienna's Heurigen, Würstelstände, and football stadiums — official beer of SK Rapid Wien. Austria's most iconic canned beer.
9
Stiegl-Paracelsus Bio-Zwickl#643 worldwide
Austria's most celebrated organic beer — named after Paracelsus, the alchemist-physician who lived in Salzburg. Brewed exclusively with Austrian organic ingredients from controlled biological cultivation, including Laufener Landweizen…Austria's most celebrated organic beer — named after Paracelsus, the alchemist-physician who lived in Salzburg. Brewed exclusively with Austrian organic ingredients from controlled biological cultivation, including Laufener Landweizen ancient grain grown and malted at the Stiegl-Farm Wildshut. Amber-coloured, naturally unfiltered, velvety mild, and smooth. 24,445 Untappd ratings.
10
Ottakringer Pils#646 worldwide
Ottakringer Pils carries the Austrian Pilsner signature — crisp, dry, and built on a firm hop line that feels more earthy-herbal than floral. Clean malt backbone stays light; bitterness arrives clean and stays dry through the finish. It's…Ottakringer Pils carries the Austrian Pilsner signature — crisp, dry, and built on a firm hop line that feels more earthy-herbal than floral. Clean malt backbone stays light; bitterness arrives clean and stays dry through the finish. It's an everyday Pils with backbone, the kind brewers in Vienna have been making since the style arrived.
The taste landscape
Of the 50 top beers, 37 lean malt-forward and 9 lean hop-forward.