The best delicacies from the Kitzbüheler Alpen

Lots of holiday destinations are characterised, not just by the uniqueness of their region, but often by their unique culinary specialities too. The trend toward regionally typical meals and regional produce remains undiminished, and that is also something which is being seen in the Kitzbüheler Alpen. Hoteliers and gastronomes pay particular attention to offering their guests local delicacies. Ultimately you want to experience a holiday with all your senses - new and intensive taste experiences are a part of this.

“We want to stay small, since when you get big, you will almost certainly lose elegance”, so says brewery manager Günther Huber of local family brewery Huber in St. Johann in Tirol. The class of Huber beer is undeniable. Numerous awards confirm this fact, like the gold recently from the ‘DLG quality testing’, the leading global quality test for beers. Awards are just by the by – what matters is that the beer tastes good. And it has done since 1727, in lots of inns in the Kitzbüheler Alpen, which also give preference to regional specialities when it comes to choosing drinks. From the brewery guesthouse, the so called ‘Huber-Turm’, which is found 27 metres above the brewery, you get the most beautiful views over St. Johann in Tirol. Here you get to really enjoy a fresh ‘Zwicklbier’, or a dark ‘Augustiner’ to a St. Johann beer cheese. www.huberbraeu.at

Fermentation cellar – even the name has a fascinating resonance. Cheeses stored in the fermentation cellars are also something quite special. While in earlier times this special maturation process was widespread in Austria, it is not seen much these days. Distinct from the standard cheese varieties, this cheese is stored for six months in natural maturing tunnels in Wörgl. The constantly cool room temperature, the high humidity and the regular treatment with ‘Rotkultur’ yeasts give hard cheese its smooth core and its powerfully aromatic, piquant flavour. Incidentally Tirol fermentation cellar cheese is naturally lactose free. This speciality is produced in Wörgl for ‘Tirol Milch’ and is available from most supermarkets in Kitzbüheler Alpen. www.tirolkaese.at

Sepp Huber was a pioneer in matters of regional awareness, with his original Kitzbüheler organic specialities. Huber’s Butchery is a many time sausage world champion, the last five of the in total 59 medals were recently pocketed at the first ORGANIC-competition. “The tried and tested family recipe of our business, which is more than 200 years old, and only using local, good quality meat is the basis for our success”, explains the master butcher. Huber’s sausage, bacon and meat specialities are not just known about in many hotels and restaurants, they are also well-known in Huber’s Butchery in the centre of Kitzbühel. www.tirolspeck.com

A good ‘Obstler’ is more than just schnapps in the Kitzbüheler Alpen, it is a cultural asset. Erber Distillery in Brixen im Thale has been looking after this culture of distilling schnapps for more than 400 years. Their speciality is the rowan berry and the new coffee fine distillate, there are other wild fruits too, such as elder, sloe and bilberries, which are always worthy of mention. The distillery’s own spring is a fundamental factor for this high quality. In the show distillery we laymen can observe the secret double-distillation process in the large copper kettles, up close. Of course on this tour through the distillery you can also taste the finished distillate and also take away some of the best distillates as a reminder of your holiday. Most of the inns in the region serve Erber schnapps, but the landlord often only brings out the best ones if you ask. www.erber-edelbrand.com