Mair’s Beerengarten: fresh, fruity, regional

Since the 1980s, Mair’s Beerengarten in Rietz has stood for regional quality and warm hospitality. What was once a disused farm was transformed into a thriving family business by the Mair family with a great deal of commitment and innovative spirit. "We're a berry gang," smiles Martina Mair, who was kind enough to show me around Mair’s Beerengarten.

A family business with a history

It all began in the 1980s with the sale of Christmas trees. Soon the cultivation of soft fruit was added, which brought new challenges. "What do we do with the berries that aren't sold fresh?" the Mair family asked themselves. And so, in 1989, a processing workshop and a frozen and refrigerated storage facility for fresh and frozen fruit were built to ensure quality all year round.

Product variety

Today, around 120 products are on offer. The assortment ranges from fruit tea, syrup, juice and jam to sparkling wine, liqueur, schnapps and even original Tyrolean wines. The Mair family has also remained true to its Christmas trees. These are available to buy year after year from December 8th.

Mair’s Beerengarten is, as the name suggests, primarily known for its sweet berries and the products made from them. But vegetables are also part of the range. "To keep the soil healthy and prevent pests, we grow vegetables as rotational crops. This allows us to offer delicious grilled vegetables such as peppers, eggplants and sun-ripened tomatoes," explains Martina Mair. A little tip on the side: it also makes sense to keep planting different fruits in your private garden.

Original North Tyrolean wine

The first attempts were made early on, but since 2017 the Mair family has been producing wine under the house name Sticklberger has been producing quality wines in earnest. While our southern neighbors are immediately associated with viticulture, wines from North Tyrol are still rare, but something very special. The grapes thrive excellently in Rietz. I am genuinely surprised. But Martina Mair explains that Rietz offers optimal conditions: "We don't get much sun in winter. But that's an advantage: the vegetation starts later in spring, so late frosts cause less damage. In summer, on the other hand, Rietz has plenty of sunshine, which creates ideal conditions for viticulture. For example, the grapes for our 'Mihlele' wines grow on the steepest slope. 'Mihlele' because there used to be a mill there."

Resistant grape varieties that inspire throughout the country

The Mair family relies on fungus-resistant grape varieties(PIWI). These new varieties are ideal for the rainy Tyrol. PIWI varieties such as Solaris, Souvignier Gris, Muscaris and Villaris offer ecological benefits: less plant protection, fewer tractor journeys, fewer pollutant emissions and less soil compaction. The Sticklberger wines are now known far beyond the borders of Tyrol. As top AMA Genussregion producers, the Mairs were invited to the Genussfestival in Vienna, where they were able to surprise visitors with their wines.

Ecologically sound management

Sustainability and holistic management are very important to the Mair family. One example: "The Christmas trees that we couldn't sell are chopped up and put in the ground with the blueberries. These prefer an acidic forest soil. This creates an uncomplicated cycle," explains Martina Mair. Like many other producers, Mair’s Beerengarten has done away with plastic packaging and uses cardboard boxes instead. An innovative process is used to dry the fruit, explains Martina Mair: "We use the waste heat from the heating system for drying: the warm air is directed to the fruit and then used to heat our farm store. A welcome side effect: the whole farm store smells of dried fruit."

Special treats from Rietz

Speaking of the farm store: Gourmets have the opportunity to pay a visit all year round. Whether fresh seasonal fruit, jam or a fine wine, there is something for every taste. "Our raspberry liqueur is particularly recommended. Our liqueurs are known for not being too sweet. We only use fresh, ripe fruit and aromatic varieties. Only the best goes into the glass and the bottle," assures Martina Mair. But don't worry, nobody has to buy a pig in a poke: "With us, you can buy everything in the Farm tavern can taste everything."

Ice cream time in the farm tavern

The cozy Hofschenke is located directly in front of the farm store. In the summer months, you can relax in the beautiful garden and in the gazebo with a delicious ice cream or homemade cake. "We like to be creative when it comes to ice cream flavors," says Martina Mair, "this year, for example, we opened the strawberry season with strawberry basil and strawberry mint ice cream. It may sound a bit weird, but the new flavors were very well received by our guests." A stop at Mair's Hofschenke is an excellent idea if you are out and about by bike. An example of an easy cycle tour would be the Inn Valley Pleasure Cycle Route. For those who prefer to walk, I can recommend the Rietz Berries Trail can be recommended.

Mair’s Beerengarten experience up close

What would a visit to Tyrol be without a trip to a real Tyrolean schnapps distillery? Mair’s Beerengarten has been a popular excursion destination for clubs, holidaymakers and specialist groups for years. Individual excursion programs are offered for groups of 15 people or more. "It's best to write us an e-mail and let us know what you want. We will then put together an exclusive program. After all, interests are often very different. In the cozy distillery, guests can experience the art of distilling up close and taste various specialties. Garden lovers can take a walk through the berry gardens and take a look behind the scenes of cultivation," says Martina Mair.

Delicious chocolate fruit cake - a family recipe

Last but not least, Martina Mair let us in on a little secret. And it's a family secret: the recipe for this delicious chocolate cake has been passed down from generation to generation, and now she's sharing it with us. The best thing is that the cake is easy to make, requires few ingredients and tastes fantastic.

Ingredients:

• 15 dg butter
• 15 dg sugar
• 1 pkg vanilla sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 15 dg softened chocolate
• 15 dg flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tbsp rum
• 4 egg whites

For the topping: approx. 1-1.5 kg apricots or cherries
To sprinkle: a little powdered sugar

This is how it's done:

Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar, vanilla sugar, egg yolks and chocolate softened in a bain-marie. Stir in the flour mixed with baking powder and sieved by the tablespoon. Fold the rum and the stiffly beaten egg whites into the batter last. The snow must be so firm that a cut with a knife remains visible. Spread the mixture 2-2.5 cm thick on a well-greased baking tray and cover tightly with halved apricots or cherries. Place the baking tray in the middle of the oven and bake at medium heat (approx. 175 °C) for approx. 25-30 minutes. Once cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Further information

Mair’s Beerengarten GmbH

Bichl 2
A-6421 Rietz
E-Mail: [email protected]
Facebook
Phone: +43(0)5262/65317
Fax: +43(0)5262/65317 - 4

Berry shopping

Farm store
A visit to the family farm is definitely worthwhile! Shopping in the farm store, tasting in the farm tavern, a tour of the distillery and a stop at the farm café - what more could your heart desire?

s’Regional: two branches
If you can't make it to Rietz so quickly, you can also buy the delicious products from Mair’s Beerengarten in Innsbruck or in the Inntalcenter Telfs.

Stalls
In the berry season, the fruit stalls in the region are indispensable. Freshly harvested fruit is available there every day.

Cover picture: © Mair’s Beerengarten GmbH