The Chronicles of Messinggasse

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Generations

Years of Schwarzer

There are places where the walls breathe. Messinggasse 18 in Lienz is such a place. Here, in the heart of East Tyrol, an era of indulgence began in 1879 when Ferdinand Probst laid the foundation for a manufacture that would soon shine far beyond the borders of the Empire.

It was a time when quality was still a sacred promise – a promise that Probst kept so masterfully that his house was appointed as an Imperial and Royal Purveyor to the Court in 1908. A privilege granted only to the best of the best.

With over 70 international gold medals won in metropolises like London and Vienna, the house set standards that still apply as an irrevocable law in our halls today. But a story needs not only an origin but also guardians. In 1927, Johann Schwarzer stepped into these venerable footsteps.

With his name, a new chapter began: The era of the Schwarzer family in Messinggasse had begun. Together with his son Rudolf Schwarzer senior, he shaped the business over decades into a wine cellar of the highest reputation.

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A L E G A C Y I N

M A S T E R H A N D S

During this time, the foundation of our work today was created. It was the knowledge of viticulture, cellar management, and the relentless selection of raw materials. Over generations, this heritage was refined and passed down from father to son – an education of the senses that went far beyond academic measures.

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T O D A Y

I M P E R I A L

R E C O G N I T I O N

The appointment as an Imperial and Royal Purveyor to the Court: A certificate that seals the highest quality and makes the house of Ferdinand Probst a supplier to the Imperial Court.

T H E S C H W A R Z E R E R A

Johann Schwarzer takes the scepter in Messinggasse. With his name starts the family tradition at this location that continues to this day.

P R E S E R V A T I O N

Rudolf Schwarzer Senior leads the wine cellar with vision. He preserves the knowledge of the best raw materials and solidifies the reputation of the house for decades.

T H E T R A N S F O R M A T I O N

Rudolf Senior and Rudolf Maria Schwarzer during mashing. This moment unites generations and seals the new direction towards becoming a fine distillery.

O p e n i n g o f t h e

H e r b a l K i t c h e n f o r

t h e h e r i t a g e o f t h e

F e r d i n a n d P r o b s t

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T H E F I R E O F R E N E W A L

With MMag. Rudolf Maria Schwarzer, the house underwent a visionary transformation. He utilized the historic original recipes of the Court Purveyor Probst and combined them with modern wine culture. Under his leadership, the fire returned: The Schwarzer Brennerei was re-established in its current, highly specialized form.

From wine expertise grew a fine distillery that is now considered one of the most diverse in the Alpine region. More than 70 fine spirits leave our cellar, complemented by masterful Rum, Tschin, and Absinthe. But true mastery preserves the old: Our bitters and liqueurs are still created with the precision that once convinced the Imperial Court.

The heart of our manufacture is the renovated Schnapps cellar from 1879. It breathes the silence that a distillate needs to ripen to true greatness. It is a place of pause, where time follows a different rhythm than outside on the streets of the city.

Those who honor the heritage must shape the future. In 2026, we are opening our new "Herbal Kitchen." In this exclusive setting, we are completely redefining historic knowledge of herbs for connoisseurs. It is the continuation of a chronicle that has known only one goal since 1879: The transformation of nature into its purest form.