Beer / Beer Gardens

There are roughly 1,500 breweries in Germany today making about 6,000 beers of nearly 140 different types. Styles vary and finding one's favourite requires experimentation……

Worldwide one in 3 breweries is located in Bavaria and each one is extremely secretive about its recipes. They all say the key is the water they use and the deep and hidden brewery owned wells. There is certainly some truth to it, but what really gives the beer its unique flavour and pizazz is the hops which is traded as seriously as grapes for wine makers. Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria decreed the world's oldest food purity law in 1516 (there

were some economic reasons involved of course). Today that same law is still very much in force. The blue Bavarian sky has somewhat darkened when the European Community decided that Germany must allow imported beers previously outlawed, beers made of rice and other "impure" ingredients. The Bavarians believe you can only taste a beer's original flavour when it is not pasteurized and that is what you will be drinking here exclusively. For the visitor to Germany, you will notice that each beer has a specific glass in which it is served. The famous 'Mass' or Stein holds a Litre, of either Helles, or Weissbier…. ….

The standard light beer, when you order a "Helles" in a bar or restaurant you will more likely be served a 0.5l serving (not large Mass), however in a beer garden it is more usual to automatically be served a Litre. Some beer-gardens have responded to the public's demand for smaller quantities and now also offer them outdoors, the "real" beer garden only serves the "Maß". NOTE: as in UK, Germany has laws governing the quantity of liquids served to the public, and you will find level markers on each glass. However, unlike the UK, the beer will always be served with a large 'head' , but if your serving looks like it is not quite 1 Litre or 0.5 Litre after the foam settles, just go back and ask for a top-up "bitte nachschenken".

If you like a more bitter and less malty taste, try the pils which is also called Pilsener. You can order them in restaurants and special pils bars. Take a closer look at the time consuming process of serving a foam crowned pils with perfection. You will see dozens of glasses filled with foam only, waiting to settle. It can take a good quarter of an hour for the foam refills to turn into the golden liquid.

A very good idea when the sun is strong and you prefer being refreshed by a lighter tasting beer. Weizen means wheat, often called a Weissbier (white), and is served in tall and elegant 0.5 Litre glasses. But beware of its "light" character, it is the strongest in alcohol. While some will serve it with a slice of lemon, do not put one in your Hefe (yeast) Weissbier (below).

Paulaner Hefe-Weissbier Naturtrüb, easily recognisable by its uniquely refreshing taste and its golden, naturally cloudy colour is a number-one sales hit. It gets its unmistakable character from the specially cultured top-fermentation yeast: Light and full of flavour, with slightly higher effervescence and unmistakably abundant aroma. No wonder more and more female Paulaner fans enthuse over such a typical Munich celebrity. Breweries have quite consciously kept Hefe-Weissbier Naturtrüb in its natural original form, the unfiltered brewing method means that vitamins, minerals and trace elements are retained. The Hefeweissbier comes only in bottles, a professional will wet the glass and pour the bottle at a steep angle. With the foam that remains at the bottom of the bottle he will collect the yeast (swirling action) and add it to your beer.

Those who like a more substantial beer might go for Hefe-Weissbier Dunkel. Once it stands on the table, with its gleaming chestnut-brown colour, it quenches any thirst. By comparison with the light-coloured Hefe-Weissbier - ("Helles"), it has a higher proportion of dark wheat malt which is obtained by a special brewing process, giving the dark Hefe-Weissbier its irresistibly luscious flavour, its fresh, strong aroma reminds you a little of roasted malt.

Bock is term used for a stronger beer (doppel meaning double even more so). Fasting monks found an ingenious way of compensating the lack of food, they started brewing very strong beers. March and October are the two most prominent seasons for brewing these special beers (See Festivals and Fun!).

Beer has been brewed in Munich for at least 600 years and has infiltrated city life to such an extent that even the calendar is divided into beer seasons. March is Starkbierzeit, when beer has an alcohol content of nearly 5%. This is followed by the Maibock in May, and then the Biergartenzeit in summer, when the city enjoys its favourite drink in the traditional open-air beer garden. Every two years this period is punctuated by the Brauertag (Brewer's Day), when brewers, apprentices, coopers, brass bands and traditional horse-drawn brewery carts parade through the streets. The climax comes with the Oktoberfest, which attracts beer-lovers from all over the world. Finally, the Christmas season is celebrated with its own beer, known as Festbock.

Beer is served by the Mass (about one Litre) and should be accompanied by Brezen (pretzels), Steckerlfisch (salted mackerel), Leberkäs (warm ground beef and bacon), Radi (radish) or bread with Obatzda (a mixture of Camembert, paprika and butter). Classic beer gardens have long benches situated under shady chestnut trees, and at most of them you are welcome to bring your own food.

The Hofbräuhaus, at Am Platzl 9 (http://www.hofbraeuhaus.de), is the most famous

The Augustiner Keller, has a committed local following and provides a welcome oasis near the Hauptbahnhof at Arnulfstrasse 52 (http://www.augustinerkeller.de).

Hirschgarten, Hirschgarten 1 (http://www.hirschgarten.de), was a royal hunting ground and gets its name from the deer that roam nearby. It lays claim to being the biggest beer garden in the world, with seating for 8000 people, and is hugely popular with tourists and locals alike. With its 8000 seats and the wild-park the royal Hirschgarten is the biggest Beergarden in the capitol of Bavaria.

You probably won't be able to pronounce it, especially after a few beers, but Waldwirtschaft Grosshesselohe, Die Großhesseloher e.V., Wettersteinstraße 27, Großhesselohe (http://www.grosshesselohe-isartal.de/index.htm), is definitely worth visiting. The 200-year-old establishment has a popular beer garden with jazz music in the summer, and a restaurant serving good Bavarian food.

The Chinesischer Turm (in the Englischer Garten) is one of the most popular beer gardens in the city. Go to enjoy a fun, family atmosphere and live oom-pah music.

Another favourite in the park is Seehaus, with an idyllic setting by the lake (in the Englischer Garten).