Top 10 Distilleries in Austria
Austria's distilling tradition rests on Schnaps — the broad family of fruit and pomace eaux-de-vie produced for centuries in the country's orchards and vineyards — and a younger but rapidly maturing whisky scene that has produced internationally awarded rye and barley malts. The Austrian "Edelbrand" (noble brand) appellation has the strict regulatory framework that protects the high end of Austrian fruit distilling. The ten distilleries below are findable on the map.
1. Reisetbauer, Axberg
Reisetbauer in Upper Austria is one of the most internationally recognised Austrian fruit distillers. The brand's pear, apple, and quince eaux-de-vie command shelf space in fine dining restaurants worldwide. The Reisetbauer single malt programme has added Austrian whisky credentials in the past two decades.
2. Waldviertler Roggenhof (Roggenreiter), Roggenreith
The Waldviertler Roggenhof in the Waldviertel region of Lower Austria is Austria's pioneer single rye whisky distillery. Founded 1995 by the Haider family, Roggenhof drew on local rye — the staple grain of the cool, slate-soiled Waldviertel — and built it into Austria's first internationally recognised whisky brand.
3. Broger Whisky, Klaus
Broger Whisky, in the Vorarlberg town of Klaus, produces Austrian single malt with Alpine water from the surrounding Bregenzerwald. The brand has built a strong domestic reputation since launching in the early 2000s.
4. Rogner Whisky, Wolkersdorf
The Rogner family distillery in Wolkersdorf produces fruit eaux-de-vie and a range of grain whiskies. The distillery is one of the older surviving Lower Austrian rural distillers and represents the link between the fruit tradition and the new whisky direction.
5. Wolfram Ortner Destillerie, Bad Kleinkirchheim
Wolfram Ortner in Carinthia produces Williams pear, raspberry, and other fruit eaux-de-vie, alongside whisky and gin. Ortner's pear in particular has built an international reputation among sommeliers and bartenders.
6. Stetter Destillerie, Sankt Marein
Stetter Destillerie in Styria produces fruit eaux-de-vie and Styrian schnapps from local apples, pears, and stone fruits. The distillery's traditional approach — direct fire, small batches, single-orchard sourcing — is representative of southern Austrian schnapps culture.
7. Pfanner Destillerie, Lauterach
Pfanner Destillerie in Vorarlberg produces fruit eaux-de-vie, gin, and whisky. The brand's positioning as a premium Austrian schnaps maker has built a strong domestic presence and growing international export.
8. Pfau Destillerie, Eckartsau
The Pfau Destillerie in the Lower Austrian wine country produces fruit eaux-de-vie and grape pomace brandies. The distillery's wine country location and connection to local vineyards gives the brand a true grape-to-glass identity.
9. Krauss Destillerie, Saalfelden
Krauss Destillerie in the Salzburger Land produces traditional alpine schnapps and a range of mountain-themed liqueurs. The distillery represents the older alpine farmhouse tradition.
10. Pfanner Whisky (Edelschnaps Pfanner), Tirol
The Tirolean Pfanner is a separate operation focused on tiroler whisky and high-altitude alpine fruit spirits. The Tirol Single Malt has built a regional following.
Schnaps and the whisky pivot
Austria's distilling identity is built first on schnaps and second on whisky, and the relative weights are gradually rebalancing as the international whisky market grows. Both traditions draw on the same core advantages — Alpine water, well-managed orchards, precision craft and a strict regulatory regime. The map shows the geographic split between the fruit distilleries of southern Austria and the whisky distilleries of the Waldviertel.