Hirter Privat Pils 6Pk

Hirter Privat Pils 6Pk is an unpasteurised Bohemian-style pilsner brewed in Carinthia, Austria, at 5.2% ABV, sold in a six-pack format. Winner of a European Beer Star Silver Medal in 2023 and multiple DLG Gold Awards, this pilsner stands apart from mainstream Austrian lagers through its prolonged lagering, alpine spring water source, and deliberately semi-dry character.

Quick Facts: ABV: 5.2%  |  Origin: Carinthia, Austria  |  Style: Bohemian-Style Pilsner (Unpasteurised)  |  Brewery: Privatbrauerei Hirt

Production & Heritage

Privatbrauerei Hirt is a family-owned brewery located in the small town of Micheldorf in Austria's southern Carinthia region. The brewery draws its water from the Hanslbauer spring, a protected alpine source situated directly across from the facility, lending the beer a notably soft mineral character. Hirter Privat Pils is brewed with a combination of Saaz and Hallertau hops following old Bohemian recipes. It undergoes an extended lagering period and is very highly fermented, producing a lean, semi-dry body. Crucially, the beer is left unpasteurised and is certified GMO-free, preserving a freshness that distinguishes it from most mass-produced pilsners on the market.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Sweet bread and biscuity pilsner malt rise first, followed by light floral and herbal hop aromatics. A faint doughy quality rounds out the nose.

Taste: The entry is soft and malty with biscuit-grain sweetness, transitioning into mild forest honey and herbal notes at mid-palate. Hop bitterness builds gradually rather than arriving all at once, maintaining balance throughout. The highly fermented profile keeps the body slender and prevents any cloying sweetness.

Finish: Harmonious and bittersweet, with a delicate hop bitterness that lingers without overpowering. The finish is notably long for the style, clean and semi-dry with a final grassy, herbal note.

How to Drink Hirter Privat Pils

Serve chilled between 4–7°C (39–45°F) in a pilsner flute or tall glass to showcase the carbonation and preserve the hop aromatics. This is a beer that rewards straightforward drinking — pour it properly and let the unpasteurised character speak for itself. For cocktail-curious drinkers: a Radler made with fresh lemon juice plays well against the semi-dry body; a Shandy with ginger ale highlights the herbal hop profile; and a Michelada benefits from the beer's soft bitterness as a counterpoint to lime and hot sauce.

Best For

• Introducing craft-curious friends to authentic Austrian pilsner
• Pairing with grilled sausages or schnitzel at a summer gathering
• Stocking a home fridge with a sessionable, unpasteurised lager
• Gifting beer enthusiasts who appreciate European brewing traditions

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Hirter Privat Pils taste like? It delivers biscuity malt sweetness up front, followed by herbal and floral hop notes, finishing semi-dry with a long, delicately bitter close. The unpasteurised process gives it a fresh, soft quality uncommon in mass-produced pilsners.

How does Hirter Privat Pils compare to Stiegl Pils? Both are well-regarded Austrian pilsners, but Hirter leans into a softer, more Bohemian profile thanks to its unpasteurised process and alpine spring water, while Stiegl Pils tends to be slightly more assertive in its hop bitterness. Hirter's extended lagering also contributes to a leaner, more refined mouthfeel.

Is Hirter Privat Pils good for sipping on its own? Absolutely — the semi-dry body, moderate carbonation, and balanced bitterness make it an excellent standalone drinking beer, particularly when served well chilled in a proper pilsner glass.

Where is Hirter Privat Pils made? It is brewed at Privatbrauerei Hirt, a family-owned brewery in Micheldorf, Carinthia, in southern Austria. The brewery uses soft mountain spring water drawn from the Hanslbauer spring located in a protected water area directly opposite the facility.

What foods pair well with Hirter Privat Pils? Wiener schnitzel, as the beer's crispness cuts through the fried coating; grilled bratwurst, whose smoky fat is balanced by the hop bitterness; aged Emmental or Gruyère, which complement the malty sweetness; fresh pretzels with mustard, a classic Central European match; and lightly seasoned white fish, where the beer's soft body won't overwhelm delicate flavors.

What sizes does Hirter Privat Pils come in? It is commonly available in a six-pack retail format, which is the configuration reviewed here.

Is Hirter Privat Pils worth the price? Hirter Privat Pils positions as a premium import pilsner, priced above domestic macros but competitive within the European import tier. Its unpasteurised production, protected spring water source, and European Beer Star recognition justify the step up from standard lagers.

Why Hirter Privat Pils?

What earns Hirter Privat Pils its place among serious pilsners is the combination of unpasteurised freshness, a verified alpine water source, and noble hop varieties — Saaz and Hallertau — brewed to a Bohemian template rather than a German one. The 2023 European Beer Star Silver Medal confirms that international judges recognize the quality here, building on earlier DLG Gold Awards in 2012 and 2014. Extended lagering and high fermentation create a slender, semi-dry body that rewards attention without demanding it. For drinkers who find most pilsners either too sweet or too aggressively bitter, Hirter occupies a genuinely distinctive middle ground rooted in alpine tradition and restrained brewing.