From Backyard Brewery to Salzburg Institution - Die Weisse
The story of Die Weisse begins when Adelbert Behr founded a small wheat beer brewery behind his inn in Salzburg’s Schallmoos district. At a time when local breweries were largely focused on strong bock beers, he introduced a light amber wheat beer with fruity notes and a fine white foam - a style that was then largely unusual in the region.
The beer quickly found an audience, and the brewery became a local fixture. Over the decades, ownership changed several times, but the core product remained the same. Die Weisse continued to be brewed according to its original concept: bottle-fermented, naturally cloudy, and distinct from the dominant beer styles of its time.
Later, the brewery underwent extensive modernization and reconstruction to secure its future while preserving its traditional identity. A new brewhouse, malt storage, and fermentation cellar were added beneath the beer garden, and the Sudhaus music bar expanded the venue beyond the classic Wirtshaus model.
More recently, the Wirtshaus entered a new phase under new management. After a short renovation, the restaurant reopened, while brewery operations remained with the Gmachl family.
Today, Die Weisse is regarded as Austria’s oldest wheat beer brewery and the country’s only historic small-scale brewery still in active production. The range has grown beyond the original wheat beer to include Dunkel, Bock, Sommer Weisse, Salzburger Hell, an organic variant, and an alcohol-free option. All of them are still brewed on site in Schallmoos, where Die Weisse has been rooted for well over 120 years.
