Austro-Hungarian beer production 1887-1893

Yesterday was very exciting. The postman delivered more books. You can never have enough books. I'm not sure Dolores agrees.

Three books came. One is a particular favourite of mine: "Zeitschrift für das gesammte Brauwesen". The 1889 edition. It never disappoints. Just quickly flicking through I found half a dozen tables of enthralling statistics. Stuff very relevant to one of my summer themes: Lager.

That's no coincidence, of course. I deliberately ordered the book because I knew it would be packed with bottom-fermenting delights. It's a wonderfully information-rich source for a period (the end of the 19th century) when central European brewing techniques were starting to conquer the world.

I've always had a fascination for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Probably connected with the way in which one of the largest countries in Europe disappeared overnight at the end of WW I. Or how its legacy refuses to disappear.

Judging by the wonderfully detailed figures, the Austro-Hungarian beer taxation system must have been based on gravity. Lucky for me. And you. It means we can see exactly how much of each strength of beer was brewed. You think that's dull? Then I think you're reading the wrong blog. Try Stonch's. He has more populist stuff about strippers and Hollyoaks.

So just us serious saddoes left. I won't count how many of us there are. Let's just say we won't need to rent a bus.


The vast majority - 95% - of beer produced was in the range 10-13º Balling (1040 - 1052). Over 50% was 10º Balling. What does that tell us? That not much has changed in the strength of beer brewed in the Czech Republic over the last 120 years. The situation today is remarkably similar. It might surprise some that the classic gravity of 12º is so poorly represented.

Here are the raw numbers. This is for the hardcore only.


While this is typical for central Europe, a similar table for Britain would look very different. In the 19th century, little British-brewed beer had a gravity below 1052 (13º Balling). A Pale Ale of the period would have been 1060-1065 (16º Balling). In 1900, the average gravity of all beer brewed in Britain was almost 14º Balling, a hefty 3º Balling higher than in Austria-Hungary.

The original figures are broken down by province. Which is why I can now focus in on two specific parts of the Austro-hungarian Empire: Bohemia and Moravia (the Czech Lands or the modern Czech Republic) and modern Austria. The latter is only an approximation, as part of Tirol is now in Italy.


The preponderance of 10º is even greater in the Czech lands - 72%. The tiny amount of 12º brewed is a surprise. Remember Pilsen is in Bohemia and 12º is the classic Pilsener gravity. As you can see from the table below, the situation is still quite similar today.

Beer production by beer type
beer type	2004	2005
výcepní (10º)	61.3%	59.8%
ležák (11-12º)	34.4%	35.8%
specialní (13º +)		1.05%
non-alcoholic beer	1.1%	1.25%
Source: Český svaz pivovarů a sladoven

The distribution by gravity is quite different for Austria:


Here almost as much 12º and 13º was brewed as 10º. There's also considerable variation between the different Austrian provinces. In Steiermark almost two thirds of production was 13º or higher. In Niederösterreich (which included Vienna) little other than 10º and 14º was brewed.

How does that compare to modern Austrian beer production. Well let's have a look:


There's been a dramatic shift towards the middle. Whereas in 1888 the most popular gravity was below 11º, today 85% of beer is between 11º or 12º.