Stronger, colder, lighter: Mohrenbräu Eisbock in a new guise

Eisbock is considered the essence of beer and has become a real rarity. Only a few breweries still undertake the effort of freeze distillation and long storage. The Mohrenbrauerei brewery preserves the tradition and produces around 3,000 bottles of this exquisite specialty every winter. Vorarlberg's oldest brewery presents its matured Eisbock at the start of the cold season. The specialty is now available in 0.33-liter lightweight glass bottles in the Lädele store.

When the temperatures drop below zero at night and the bock beer barrel remains outside, the beer freezes into beer essence. The water evaporates, while the flavor becomes more concentrated. The result is an amber-colored beer with a proud 10 percent alcohol content. According to legend, 135 years ago, a tired brewer forgot his barrels outside on a frosty night. The next day, he was surprised to find that the ice had created a legendary beer.

“Born of cold and time, Eisbock is the soul of beer. We bring this old story to life every winter – and leave nothing to chance. Frost becomes concentration, time becomes flavor, beer becomes essence,” says Mohrenbräu managing director Thomas Pachole. Today, only a few breweries in Austria and Germany still undertake this laborious work. Private family businesses such as Mohrenbräu preserve the heritage of Eisbock.

Tradition meets modern brewing
Vorarlberg's oldest brewery has been preserving this tradition for 13 years now. Master brewer Tim Groeger and his team use the traditional method of freeze distillation. Using a cooler in the brewing tank, Festbock or Doppelbock is transformed into Eisbock by freezing it several times. After the brewing process, the beer matures for a year. At the annual Eisbock barrel tapping, people always taste the beer from the previous year.

On November 17, the Mohrenbrauerei brewery once again invited guests to the beer experience world in Dornbirn. Thomas Pachole, together with Irmgard, Heinz, and Karl Huber, as well as Ulrike Amann from the owner family, welcomed around 80 guests. They enjoyed the new Eisbock freshly tapped from the ice barrel and, for the first time, in the innovative 0.33-liter lightweight glass bottle.

Just in time for the start of the cold season, around 3,000 bottles of the 2024 vintage are now available at the Mohrenbräu-Lädele in Dornbirn. The combination of ingredients, brewing process, long storage, and post-maturation in the bottle ensures an unmistakable taste. With a shelf life of ten years, this winter specialty is one of the longest-lasting beers. “Enjoying it right away is just as good as in a few years, just different. It's worth keeping a second or third beer,” advises master brewer Tim Groeger.