Craftbier an der Donau

Unsurprisingly, the modern trend for off-kilter beers has reached Vienna too, and barwise it's centred on Ammutsøn, a self-described "craft beer dive" but really a pleasant little bar with two poky rooms and an ever-changing array of local and international beers on tap.

I went international to start, picking Pina Colada, a fruited sour job by Lithuanian brewery Sakiškių Alus. A small glass of this 6.2% ABV one cost a handsome €6.75. Was it worth it? Not really. It fulfils the promise of the name, smelling and tasting strongly of both coconut and pineapple, with a creamy texture. The most surprising feature is the lack of murk, presenting clear and golden in the glass. While an accurate recreation of the cocktail in beer form it's not very beery and certainly isn't even remotely sour. That makes it pretty basic -- drinkable, enjoyable for a few sips, but really not very exciting beyond that. When ordering beers like this in places like this for that sort of money I expect something more interesting.

For my second I decided to stay relatively local, with one from Bierol, a brewery up north in the Tyrol. It's another fruity sour beer, this time with IPA in the mix too, called MK Ultra Mandarine. The aroma was a pleasant surprise: all musky and spicy, sandalwood and cedar, like aftershave or manly shower gel. Although quite light-bodied, there's a greasy texture and lots of booze heat, showing off its 7.4% ABV and more. The flavour is funky, but again in that lockerroom cosmetics way rather than farmyard. There's also herbal lemonade and a vanilla sweetness but none of the zesty mandarin I was expecting from the name. Still, it's a fun one, with new dimensions unfolding with each sip. I could ding it for being a little unbeery but the flavour at least makes up for that by being so multifaceted. It's perfectly acceptable fare and I'd like to find out what else this lot have been brewing.

Seemingly the most mainstream craft brewery in these parts is Brew Age and I saw their Alphatier IPA on tap in several "normal" bars and restaurants. It's 5.6% ABV and a disturbing beige colour. Thankfully it tastes nowhere near as dreggy as it looks, offering a clean and juicy flavour, big on sweet mandarin up front before adding a citric bite to the finish. There's a smidge of garlic and grit, but not to an offensive degree. Overall it's very well done and makes a good ambassador for Austrian New England-style IPA.

The next two I picked up as a matching pair at BeerLovers, a proper Aladdin's cave of an off licence. Both are from Brauhaus Gusswork in Salzberg. The first is a 5% ABV stout called Das Schwarze Schaf and is ostensibly dry -- lots of toasty roast to the fore -- but balances it beautifully with a richer chocolate middle. There's even a touch of cherry or raisin, something I would normally expect only to find in much stronger and thicker affairs. Because we have loads of them at home, I sometimes forget how rare session-strength stouts are abroad. These guys have really put the effort into making theirs a good one.

For something stronger, and hopefully along similar lines, there's Die Schwarze Kuh at 9.2% ABV. This does has the same basic dryness but the flavour heads off in a different direction otherwise, going big on the bitterness for strong kicks of liquorice, marjoram and boiled green cabbage. It's serious, but no less enjoyable for that. Though it's not exactly unctuous, there's a certain creaminess to the texture, keeping the carbonation at bay. Overall another very well made stout; not as accessible as the above, though I'm sure it isn't supposed to be. (edit: Barry tells me the Gusswork brewer studied at UCC and worked at Beamish & Crawford. Strange that his stouts are so good then, eh?)

Finally, I don't go past hemp beer when I see it and I saw one on the menu at the Kaltenhauser Botschaft beer hall, about which more later. Brau Schneider is the brewery and the beer is called, simply, Hanf. It's 5.3% ABV and warm fermented, presenting a clear pale yellow. The aroma is lightly citric, coming from a crisp lagerlike body. The flavour isn't very strong but does have the white pepper spice I enjoy in hemp beers. I would have preferred much more of that, though even the little bit was nice to get, it's such a rarity. More peppery hemp beers, please.

Fancy craft isn't really Vienna's thing, and the more traditional styles are far more commonplace. It's there if you look, however. Tomorrow we'll begin exploring the city's many brewpubs.