Zipfer

Zipfer is one of the most widely distributed beer brands in Austria, produced at its brewery in Neukirchen an der Vöckla in Upper Austria. The brand's defining production distinction is its exclusive use of fresh natural hops: whole hop cones from the harvest rather than the hop extract or pellets that most large-scale breweries rely on. The brand states this has been its consistent practice throughout its history, and it ties the beer's character more directly to the seasonal variation of the hop crop than a processed-hop approach would allow.

Zipfer's AF lineup covers 0.0% lagers and Radlers (a style that blends beer with fruit juice or lemonade, popular in German-speaking countries as a refreshing, lower-strength option). The brand was also the first brewery in Austria to introduce the 0.33-litre Stubbi bottle with a pull-off cap, a packaging innovation the brand cites as part of its own history.

The natural-hop distinction is one of the more specific production claims in the Austrian lager category, and gives Zipfer's AF range a clearer identity story than most mainstream lager brands in the AF space.