
Brennerei Pirker: Masterpieces from Mariazell
Austrian gingerbread and honey wine production and candle dipping each have a long-standing tradition dating back over 300 years in Mariazell. The Pirker family still practise, preserve and bring to life these fascinating crafts today. Katharina Pirker and Georg Rippel-Pirker run this Upper Styrian model business with lots of enthusiasm and creativity, earning them the Styrian coat of arms. In addition to traditional and local fruit varieties, special fruits are also distilled into organic orange brandy, honey brandy and rice brandy which is sold as far afield as Japan.
At Pirker’s, tradition is combined with zeitgeist; approximately 60 different brandies, honey wine, original Mariazell herb bitter (from local herbs, with no added sugar) and gingerbread liqueur are carefully produced and impressively presented. The company has won numerous awards, confirming its high-quality standards – only the very best pure fruits, herbs, honey and hand-selected spices are processed and distilled. Pirker’s entire product range is made up of more than 400 homemade specialities, ranging from exquisite brandies, liqueurs and Mariazell honey gingerbread to honey wine, handmade beeswax candles and high-quality vinegars from their own vinegar factory.
The First Class Distillery 2022 BILI and World Class Distillery 2022 OBB received double gold for Schwarze Johannisbeere (black currant), gold for Wachauer Marille (apricot), Lebkuchenlikör (gingerbread liqueur), Zirbengeist (stone pine spirit), Quittenbrand (quince brandy), Kräuterbitter (herbal bitter), Schlehe (sloe), Brombeerbrand (blackberry brandy), Bio-Kornelkirsche (organic cornelian cherry), Apfelbrand Kronprinz Rudolf (apple brandy) and Rote Johannisbeere (red currant), and silver for Eierlikör (egg liqueur), Traubenkirsche (bird cherry), Himbeere (raspberry), Elsbeere (wild serviceberry) and Kaffeelikör (coffee liqueur).