While Oktoberfest-style beers (namely Marzens) and pumpkin beers seem to get all the press during the fall months, you’d really be missing out if you didn’t sip a Vienna lager or two as well. This amber, dark brown, or even slightly red-hued beer is fairly similar in both appearance and flavor to the aforementioned Marzen and a great choice for this time of year.
Sadly, it sometimes seems to get lost in the fall shuffle. We’re here to correct that today!
The style is known for its sweet, malty aroma and caramel sweetness thanks to Vienna malts (as well as Pilsner and Munich malts, in many cases) as well as its light hoppy, floral flavor with very little hop bitterness. All in all, it’s refreshing and crisp enough for warm fall days but malty and sweet enough for cold autumn nights.
“Vienna lagers are great everyday session beers,” says Adam Lukey, head brewer at Eventide Brewing in Atlanta. “They tend to be moderate-strength continental amber lagers with a smooth maltiness and balanced bitterness.”
To find some of the best available, we went to the professionals for help. We asked a handful of well-known craft experts, brewers, and beer professionals to tell us the best Vienna lagers to drink this fall. Keep scrolling to see all of their choices.
Dovetail Vienna Lager
Garth E. Beyer, Certified Cicerone and owner of Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, Wisconsin
ABV: 5.1%
Average Price: $12 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Vienna-Style Lager from Dovetail is always my go-to for a Vienna-style lager. There’s no hiding behind the ingredients of this beer. It’s 100% Vienna malt and classic Styrian Golding hops.
Tasting Notes:
In terms of flavor, you get to enjoy light toffee, cereal, and a hint of pleasant, toasted bread. It’s authentic, it’s traditional, it reminds us that you don’t need an adjunct to make something that’s damn tasty. You don’t even need a fancy name for it. Let the beer speak for itself – just as this one does.
Schilling Volksgarten
Suzanne Schalow, CEO of Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont, Massachusetts
ABV: 4.9%
Average Price: Limited Availability
The Beer:
Schilling Volksgarten is my go-to Vienna lager. This 4.9% ABV fall beer gets most of its flavor from the use of Vienna malts and Czech Saaz hops. It’s lighter, crisper, and more refreshing than many of the other Vienna lagers on the market.
Tasting Notes:
Biscuits with honey, herbal and grassy aromas, and a slight touch of roasted malt provide depth to this lager, which is perfect for the reminder of cooler nights and crisp autumn air.
Sierra Nevada Vienna Lager
Bradley Miles, head of production at Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in Phoenix
ABV: 5.3%
Average Price: Limited Availability
The Beer:
Sierra Nevada’s Vienna Lager is one of the best American representations of the style. It’s a great take on the European style. Sadly, it’s not easy to find bottles of this seasonal favorite. You’ll likely have to settle for finding it on draft and enjoying a crisp, malty pint that way.
Tasting Notes:
Crisp, bready, and slightly malty, it’s a great American version of the classic Vienna lager. Seek it out if you find it in bottles or on draft.
Goldfinger Vienna-Style Lager
Glenn Allen, head brewer at Pilot Project Brewing in Milwaukee
ABV: 5.5%
Average Price: $13 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Goldfinger Brewing in Downers Grove, Illinois is one of the best lager breweries in the Midwest. They have a nice traditional Vienna lager with that familiar copper hue, toasted malt, and freshly baked bread character you’re looking for.
Tasting Notes:
Hints of honey and caramel round it out with the pleasant Noble character of the Czech Saaz hops.
Brooklyn Lager
Nico Freccia, co-founder at COO at 21st Amendment Brewery in San Francisco
ABV: 5.2%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Another classic here, Brooklyn Lager. The very first beer that Brooklyn Brewery ever made in 1988 and still one of its most popular today. A true original and classic go-to beer.
Tasting Notes:
This is a beautiful Vienna lager with a background of light caramel, a touch of toffee and nuttiness, and then dry hopped for aromas of citrus and pine.
Negra Modelo
Fal Allen, brewmaster at Anderson Valley Brewing Co. in Boonville, California
ABV: 5.4%
Average Price: $9 for a six-pack
The Beer:
My favorite everyday Vienna Lager is Negra Modelo. Now true, they call it a Dunkel-style lager on their website, we can all see that it is not a Dunkel and is about as close as you are going to find around the US to a widely available Vienna lager.
Tasting Notes:
It is a nice version of a Vienna. It’s soft approachable with nutty overtones and a good solid balance, not sweet or cloying but smooth with a hint of hop bitterness. I want one right now.
Olde Mecklenburg Munzler’s Vienna Lager
Adam Lukey, head brewer at Eventide Brewing in Atlanta
ABV: 4.9%
Average Price: $11 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
My Vienna lager of choice is Munzler’s Vienna Lager from The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery in North Carolina. It’s not as well-known as some of the others on the market. But if you enjoy Vienna lagers, it belongs on your radar.
Tasting Notes:
Named after North Carolina’s first brewer, Munzler’s is a beautiful copper color that drinks cleanly and is satisfyingly smooth with a slight toastiness.
Breakside Vienna Lager
Chad Henderson, head brewer and co-owner of NoDa Brewing Company in Charlotte
ABV: 5.5%
Average Price: Limited Availability
The Beer:
Vienna Lager from Breakside is a consistent favorite of mine whenever I’m in Portland, Oregon, whether it’s for hop selection or any other reason. This beer always secures its spot on my list.
Tasting Notes:
It showcases a fantastic bready malt character that strikes a balance between sweetness and roastiness. The clean hops provide a well-balanced touch, resulting in the perfect light amber lager experience.
Stoup Vienna Lager
Chris Baum, head brewer and owner at Varietal Beer Company in Sunnyside, Washington
ABV: 5.4%
Average Price: Limited Availability
The Beer:
Vienna Lager from Stoup Brewing in Seattle. Brewed with Pilsner, Munich, and Vienna malts, it’s malty, complex, and surprisingly easy to drink on a cool autumn day.
Tasting Notes:
This beer has the perfect touch of toast, earthy sweetness, and a light body. A great beer for fall. Stoup can do no wrong.
Neshaminy Creek Churchville Lager
George Hummel, grain master at My Local Brew Works in Philadelphia
ABV: 4.9%
Average Price: $13 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
When I crave a Vienna lager, I reach for a Churchville Lager from Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co. Not as heavy as a Festbier, it makes it a great fall lawnmower beer.
Tasting Notes:
Crisp with notes of biscuits and just the right tickle of noble German hops. Malty, refreshing, with just the right amount of floral hops, it’s a winner any time of year (especially during the fall months).
