-OUR UPCOMING- -BEER TRAVELS- September 2008 Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany October 2008 Great American Beer Festival
in Denver, CO November 2008 San Diego, CA December 2008
Kerstbierfestival in Essen, Belgium
In a sense, a beer guide to Munich is somewhat superfluous; almost every place in Munich you visit will be a lot of fun and you will definitely have great beer. But if you feel you still need some guidance, read on.
Munich has one of the best public transit systems in Europe and the U-Bahn and your feet are the best ways to get around. It is on the honor system but unless you want to pay the hefty fine, buy a ticket. Purchase a day ticket (“Tageskarte”) and hop on and off the subway as needed. If you are going to journey to Kloster Andechs, make sure you purchase the correct multi-zone day ticket.
The beer gardens, usually tied to one brewery, are too numerous to mention but we like two (Seehaus and Chinesicher Turm) in the Englischer Garten as well as at the Viktualienmarkt.
The beer halls, also affiliated with one brewery, are all impressive affairs and half the fun is walking around and checking out the interiors.
In the end, there are literally hundreds of places to go for beer so I listed the places we are invariably drawn back to again and again. Our best advice to you is not limit yourself to this list and explore.
Hofbrauhaus – Always loud, smoky, drunken, boisterous, crowded, and full of tourists, the Hofbrauhaus is a must visit when you are in Munich. If you want to see the Oktoberfest atmosphere in miniature, this is the place to do it. [U-Bahn: Marienplatz]
Wirtshaus Ayinger – Across from the Hofbrauhaus in the Hotel Platzl, the Wirtshaus Ayinger is where we always go to dinner the first night we are in Munich. Here you will have great German food and incredible German beer from the nearby city of Aying. [U-Bahn: Marienplatz]
Augustiner Keller – Located up past the Hauptbahnhof on Arnulfstraße, the Augustiner Keller has, some people believe, the best beer in Munich. The beer IS great and the 5,000 seat beer garden, though not the largest in Munich, is impressive. Be sure to step inside to check out the different rooms especially the cavernous Keller downstairs through the wrought iron gate. [U-Bahn: Hauptbahnhof]
On our first trip to Munich we went to the Augustiner Keller... When I go to an establishment for the first time, I like to try all the beers. When I told our waiter, a burly German in his Bavarian outfit, that I wanted the Pils, he replied "That is NOT Munich beer!! YOU WILL DRINK Munich beer...!!" He pointed to the helles so that is what I had...
Weisses Brauhaus – If you want to meet some friendly locals who may or may not speak English, the Scheider Weisse beer hall is the place to go. Located just off the Marienplatz on Tal Straße, not only can you get some hearty German food but also the best hefeweizen in Germany. Don’t be intimidated by the older, surly waitresses and definitely have an Aventinus; their dark wheat beer. [U-Bahn: Marienplatz]
Outside of Munich - There are a number of breweries in nearby cities accessible via the S-Bahn and then walking or taking a bus. These are all half day excursions.
Kloster Andechs – No trip to Munich would be complete without venturing out of town and tasting maybe the best beer in the world at Kloster Andechs, the most famous of the German monastery breweries. Hop on the S-5 train and get off at the end of the line in Herrsching. Either take the bus from the train station or do like we do and hike up to the monastery by following the signs that say "Fußweg nach Andechs". Then enjoy the beer, food and people watching. [S-Bahn: Herrsching]
The crowds can vary at Andechs. When we were there in mid-December, the only other people there were some elderly Germans enjoying their food and beer. When we were there the first weekend of Oktoberfest, 8 busloads of drunken 20-something Australians had just been dropped off. When you go, hope for the former... Most likely, it will be somewhere in between.
Ayinger - If you didn't get enough of the Ayinger beer at the Wirtshaus in Munich, get on the train to Aying. The brewery has a hotel and restaurant in the town. [S-Bahn: Aying]
Weihenstephan - Claims to be the oldest brewery in the world and is home to the Technical University of Munich's famous Faculty of Brewing. If you are planning on brewing a hefe-weizen, Weihenstephan is also home to the Hefebank Weihenstephan, where you can get the yeast that give a hefe-weizen its distinctive flavor. A bit harder to get to, your journey will be rewarded... [S-Bahn: Freising]
Brewpubs- There are a few "brewpubs" in Munich but I'll admit that since there are so many other beer opportunities, we rarely get to them. The main reason to visit these places is that you can't get their beers anywhere else in Munich.
Paulaner Brauhaus - Located in Kapuziner Platz, there is a lot of history in this building; this is where the Thomas brothers had their brewery and first brewed the Muenchner Helles. Now you can get the full line up of Paulaner beers plus some excellent house-brewed beers. And the interior is very impressive. [U-Bahn: Goetheplatz]
Unions-Brau-Haidhausen - Somewhat off the main beer trail, I'll be honest and say that we haven't been there in 6 years and can't really remember the place very well... We'll have to go there next time we are in Munich. I do remember that the interior was decorated with hops. [U-Bahn: Max Weber Platz]
Forschungsbrauerei - This is the brewery of my 300th brewery fame. They have two beers and have a devoted following amongst beer enthusiasts. Beware: it is closes in the winter... check the website for dates. [S-Bahn: Perlach]
Isarbrau - This weisse brewery is located at an S-Bahn stop... literally. Convenient location and a flavorful hefeweizen make Isarbrau a worthwhile stop while you are riding the rails. [S-Bahn:Großhesselohe]
