Vienna Lager is not a German beer, but rather has its origins in Austria. The style was first developed by Anton Dreher, an Austrian brewer, in the 1840s. Dreher was the owner of his own brewery and was looking to create a new beer style that would stand out from the traditional German lagers of the time.
At that time, German lagers were typically brewed using a combination of pale malt and darker roasted malts, resulting in a darker and heavier beer. Dreher, however, wanted to create a beer that was lighter in color and body, while still maintaining a rich and toasty flavor profile.
To achieve this, Dreher began using a new type of malt that had been modified to have a pale color and a toasty flavor. This malt came to be known as Vienna malt, and it became the key ingredient in the new style of beer that Dreher was creating.
Dreher's Vienna Lager quickly gained popularity in Austria, and its influence spread to other parts of Europe as well. The beer became known for its smooth and balanced flavor, with a moderate level of malt sweetness and a clean, crisp finish.
While Vienna Lager did find some success in Germany, particularly in the southern regions where it shared a border with Austria, it never became as widely popular as it did in its home country. In fact, the style eventually fell out of favor in Germany, while it continued to be brewed and enjoyed in Austria.
Today, Vienna Lager is still considered a classic beer style and is brewed by breweries around the world. It is known for its amber color, medium body, and a malt-forward flavor profile with notes of caramel, toffee, and toasted bread. The beer typically has a moderate level of hop bitterness, which helps to balance out the malt sweetness.
Vienna Lager is not a German beer but rather an Austrian style that was developed by Anton Dreher in the 1840s. While it did find some popularity in Germany, it never became as widely embraced as it did in Austria. Today, Vienna Lager continues to be brewed and enjoyed by beer enthusiasts worldwide for its unique and flavorful profile.