Austrian Beer Makers and Slow Brewing: A Global Movement Fostering Local Commitment?
CORNELIA CASEAU
Abstract
Slow Brewing is a quality label for beer, distinguishing brewers in several European countries like Austria. This brewing method seems related to the Slow Food movement, launched in Rome in 1986 by Carlo Petrini. From a local protest action against the fast-food industry and the disappearance of local food traditions, it has become a global movement. From 2012, four Austrian brewers have been awarded the seal of Slow Brewing, which is meant to guarantee greater product quality and better taste. Slow Brewing, however, is not limited to the certification of beer quality, but also refers to the respect of ecological sustainability, participatory corporate climate, and professional and human development of employees. The results of the study show that the Austrian Slow Brewers borrow narratives from the Slow Food ideology, but that they also follow their own philosophy, adapted to local challenges. This article is the first academic study about Slow Brewing.
Keywords
Austrian beer, citizen-consumer, local commitment, slow brewing, slow food, sustainability
DOI
https://doi.org/10.18267/pr.2024.vol.2512.2