About us
Farthofer Distillery – Tradition meets innovation
With roots dating back to 1867, the Farthofer distillery stands for the highest organic quality, sustainable production and a deep connection to the Mostviertel nature. What once started as a small farm has developed over generations into an award-winning company that creates outstanding organic spirits with a pioneering spirit and attention to detail. From our orchards to our in-house malthouse, every step is carried out in-house and with the greatest care – according to the motto: “From the field to the bottle”. Discover the unique flavours of our region and experience how tradition and innovation go hand in hand.
Our locations
Mostelleria in Öhling
Distillery in Biberbach
Whisky cellar in Seitenstetten Abbey
BioArt Campus / Genussmanufaktur in Seeham
Distilling schnapps has been a tradition in our family for over 100 years. We found the first records from 1867, in this year Katharina and Ignaz Sträßler purchased a cider press.
Josef’s parents farmed a mixed farm with cows, pigs and orchards.
Cider production was no longer in the foreground, and demand was not high enough in the seventies – the zeitgeist had not yet rediscovered the traditional drink.
Only about 1,000 – 2,000 litres of cider were produced annually for their own use, whereas grandmother Maria reported over 60,000 litres of cider.
Grandmother Maria, on the other hand, still likes to reminisce about the “golden times” of her cider farmhouse, she told of the time when neighbors came by to gossip for a few glasses of cider and even bought the drink from her, although there was no such thing as “farm sale” yet. Maria reported on the production of an incredible 1,200 buckets of cider.
One bucket is 56 litres, so 67,200 litres per year were produced on their farm at that time. She proudly told of her time when cider brought respect and honour to a farm. But not only the cider was of great importance in our farm, schnapps distilling was also part of it from the beginning. The family has always attached great importance to fruit refinement. The distilling right still came from Empress Maria Theresa.
Even during his school days, Josef felt that he would one day take over the farm. However, it was also clear to him that the takeover alone was not enough:
“From the very beginning, I was interested in working with fruit and fruit, not in stable work.”
After graduating from commercial school, the 18-year-old bustling Josef Farthofer invested his first savings from tutoring lessons he gave to students in a new press, a sweet cider pirale and a bottle washing system. Not usual purchases for a young person. He bought the equipment together with a friend. The experimental fever had completely gripped the young Josef.
At the age of 19, he produced his first apple and pear cider as well as non-alcoholic apple and pear juice. The result was amazingly good, Josef realized that he had a knack for it. At the age of 24, Josef then produced his first pear cider brandy. It was the first encounter with schnapps, it took place in 1996 – and as is so often the case, coincidence was the godfather. The boiler in Farthofer’s parents’ house did not have a water bath at that time, but was fired directly. Fruit mash would have burned hopelessly in it. So Josef had to resort to liquid raw material, and since cider was available in sufficient quantities, he helped himself to it without further ado. The result was an excellent success and for the first time bore the signature with which Josef would later become known.
From then on, Josef did not let go of the burning.
“What fascinated me about distilling schnapps from the very beginning was the great challenge of combining the most diverse competencies of chemical, technical and biological knowledge. To capture the aroma from high-quality fruit and to create noble products from it. I soon realized that there was a market for brandies, you just had to conquer it.”
