Freitag, 18. April 2025

Six Munich Breweries, Beer Festivals, and Tradition

Inns, beer gardens, and traditional tents of Munich's breweries


Six Munich beers you should try! ... So, off to Munich! ... - the beautiful city on the Isar River is always worth a visit with its beer festivals... From April 25th to May 11th, the Spring Festival (Frühlingsfest in München) will be held in Munich again


Munich has six major breweries: Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Löwenbräu, Hofbräu, Paulaner, and Spaten  (English, Italiano, Francais, Deutsch)


Munich. In the heart of the city, a beer garden changes its beer style every five to six weeks: in the beer garden at the Viktualienmarkt, visitors can enjoy a different Munich beer every few weeks in the bar or in the beer garden. Incidentally, all six beers can also be enjoyed at the Munich Oktoberfest on the Theresienwiese, in the inns and beer gardens of the respective breweries, or in the breweries' traditional tents at the famous folk festivals. - Next big festival: From April 25th to May 11th, the Spring Festival (Frühlingsfest in München) will be held in Munich again. - Incidentally, in 2025, International Beer Day falls on August 1st! Munich will be celebrating! And the following month, the big Munich Oktoberfest begins: Saturday, September 20th, 2025, to Sunday, October 5th, 2025! All we can say is: a warm welcome to the beautiful cosmopolitan city of Munich ... or, as the Bavarians say to tourists in the beer tent: "Hock di her, dann san ma mehr!" (means: Sit here, then there will be more of us!) - What we recently experienced at the Starkbierfest: Munich: Nockherberg, Giesinger Bräu, Hirschgarten, Hofbräukeller, Forschungsbrauerei, Donisl, Löwenbräukeller, Augustinerkeller... Who, when, and where? Here are the locations and times! (means: Wer, wann und wo? Hier Orte und Zeiten!) And then there are also new brewmasters - see our blog article: Strong beer festival time - 2025 will be served ... (Starkbierfestzeit - 2025 wird ausgeschenkt) Series: Perlacher Forschungsbrauere and Giesinger Bräu and the Löwenbräukeller with the Triumphator ...

 
2 liters of Hacker Pschorr in the festival tent at the Munich Oktoberfest, Photo: A. Waess


 And: like "gold," the barley juice flows into the glass "safes."

A wonderfully golden wheat beer and a cool lager... Investing in beer is always a safe investment for culinary delights in Bavaria...

The Purity Law - April 23, 2024 - "German Beer Day"

Purity Law and beer test with lederhosen: If the bench stuck, the beer passed... So, off to Munich! ... - the beautiful city with its beer festivals is always worth a visit... Nothing but water, malt, hops, and yeast is allowed in the brewing kettle - beer sommeliers know all the varieties...


A stein in the Munich beer tent, photo: Helga Waess

 Augustiner-Bräu, gladden your heart! - The Augustiner Brewery is Munich's oldest brewery

The brewery was founded in 1328, making it the oldest brewery still in existence in Munich. The Augustiner-Bräu always refrained from advertising and always used a bulbous bottle, while other breweries used the narrow NRW bottle for bottling. The Augustiner Brewery is located south of the railway tracks on Landsberger Straße at the Hackerbrücke. Anyone passing by will recognize the long brick wall.

But back to history: The monks of the Augustinian Order produced the first beer to enjoy popularity throughout Bavaria as early as 1328. The "Augustiner" was privatized in 1817. The Augustiner Hell still bears the bulbous Augustinian monk as a label.


Book cover - Peter Hince, QUEEN INTIM, shows Freddie Mercury with a bottle of Augustiner beer, photo: A. Waess

Freddie Mercury, who also lived in Munich for almost 10 years, is depicted on the cover of the book "QUEEN INTIM" with a bottle of Augustiner beer. - This iconic photograph of Freddie with Augustiner beer is available for purchase as a signed limited edition photo art at the Stephen Hoffman Gallery / Galerie Stephen Hoffman (the link leads to the gallery's website at Prannerstrasse 5 - back of the Hotel Bayerischer Hof)!

The photo was taken by Peter Hince, photographer, author, and chief roadie for the rock band QUEEN in Munich at the Musicland Studios in the Arabella House. Queen with Freddie Mercury by Peter Hince, Munich - Book tip - Music history of the rock group QUEEN. Read: Peter Hince "QUEEN INTIMATE. Groupies, Gin and Glitter - On Tour with Queen" (Peter Hince "QUEEN INTIM. Groupies, Gin und Glitter - Auf Tour mit Queen" ) - The photo exhibition with Queen photos by Peter Hince begins at the end of October 2023 at the Stephen Hoffman Gallery in Munich. From the opening act for "Mott The Hoople" to the most successful rock band of all time - Peter Hince accompanied QUEEN for over 10 years.


A waiter brings a few steins to the guests at the Munich Oktoberfest, Photo: Helga Waess

 

The Hacker-Pschorr Brewery was founded in 1417, in the late Middle Ages.


Hacker-Pschorr beer was first documented in 1417. At that time, the brewery was already located on Sendlinger Straße, not far from the town hall (Old Town Hall - now the Toy Museum). Today, the "Altes Hackerhaus" restaurant is still located here.

From the 18th century onward, the Munich couple Joseph Pschorr and Maria Theresia Hacker led their company to the top of Munich's breweries. Through inheritance, the Hacker Brewery and Pschorr Brewery split, resulting in two beer brands. Since 1972, the brewery has been brewed again under the dual name "Hacker-Pschorr."

The former brewery site was located south of the Hacker Bridge. Hacker-Pschorr is now part of the Paulaner Beer Group. Hacker-Pschorr's 13 beers, some of which are brewed seasonally, are bottled exclusively in swing-top bottles.


The Munich Purity Law was celebrated at the Oktoberfest in Munich, Photo: Helga Waess


Löwenbräu was founded behind the Frauenkirche in the Löwengrube (Lion's Den).

It was first brewed in the Middle Ages (late 14th century). The title "Löwenbräu" as a brand first appears in documents in 1746 (Munich Beer Brewery Catalogue). In the 19th century, the brewery, run by the Brey family, became the largest brewery in Munich. The Löwenbräu festival beer later originated on Nymphenburger Straße, where we can still find the Löwenbräukeller with its beer garden at Stiglmaierplatz. Incidentally, the famous Starkbierfest (strong beer festival) and the "Nacht der Tracht" (Night of Traditional Costume) are both popular events here.


Lion in the gable of the Löwenbräu festival tent on the Theresienwiese - in the background, Bavaria with the Hall of Fame, photo: A. Waess

Since 1997, the Spaten-Franziskaner-Löwenbräu Group has operated jointly under the Interbrew brewing group, now InBev.

 

Brauer auf dem Giebel des Hofbräuhauses am Platzl in München, Foto: A. Waess (Cover Kunst-Kultur-Blog)


The Hofbräu from the internationally renowned Hofbräuhaus am Platzl in Munich


The song "In Munich stands a Hofbräuhaus..." ( "In München steht ein Hofbräuhaus …") is world-famous and promotes the beer from the heart of the city. The beer has been brewed since 1589, when William V founded his ducal brewery. Since the 19th century, the brewery has been located on Innere Wiener Straße, where the spectacular, famous Hofbräukeller with its fabulous beer garden attracts visitors.


Hofbräu tent at the Munich Oktoberfest, photo: A. Waess

In 1939, Hofbräu passed into state ownership. The Staatliches Hofbräuhaus brewery in Munich is arguably the most well-known beer brand and was originally founded in the Alter Hof (Old Court). The famous Hofbräuhaus on Platzl, not far from the Viktualienmarkt, is now one of the city's most important tourist attractions. The brewery now operates just outside the city, near the exhibition center.


Hofbräuhaus am Platzl in Munich, photo A. Waess


The Paulaner Brewery with the monk "Brother Barnabas"

The Paulaner Brewery was founded by monks in the Munich district of Au. It was in 1634 that the monks of the Paulaner Order brewed a beer that went down in history as the Paulaner Festbier and is still served at Oktoberfest today.


Paulaner Munich is transported to Oktoberfest on a float, Photo: A. Waess


What was initially enjoyed only by monks soon flowed down the throats of Munich's beer lovers as Bock beer, made according to Brother Barnabas's old recipe. The Paulaner Brewery headquarters moved a few years ago (2016) from the famous Giesinger Nockherberg, known for the Starkbierfest (strong beer festival) with its famous "Derblecken" (poking fun at politicians), to Munich-Langwied.


The brewery's headquarters remain in the Au on Ohmüllerstraße, and above it is the Paulaner am Nockherberg, a popular beer garden and festival venue for the annual Starkbierfest (strong beer festival), with its keynote speech and musical comedy. The Paulaner Brewery is one of the sponsors of FC Bayern Munich.



Paulaner Tower and Löwenbräu Tower during construction at the Munich Oktoberfest, Photo: A. Waess


Spatenbräu - The "Spaten" brand tapped the first "Münchner Hell"


The famous Spaten Brewery also originated in the Middle Ages: founded in 1397. It all began in Neuhauser Gasse. The brewery then moved to Marsstraße – today the administrative headquarters. Like Löwenbräu and Franziskaner, the Spaten Brewery belongs to the international beer group AB InBev.

Spaten launched "Münchner Hell" in 1894, which quickly became a best-seller. The former brewery site now houses a visitor museum, and the beer is brewed in the former brewhouse of Löwenbräu AG.


Let me advise you, drink Spaten! That's the slogan above the Spaten tent at the Munich Oktoberfest. Here, the beer barrels containing Spaten's new Wiesn beer are being carted to the festival grounds. Photo: A. Waess

 

HERE ARE OUR ARTICLES ABOUT THE MUNICH STRONG BEER FESTIVAL:  

And then there are new brewmasters - see our blog article:

LINK _ Our article on Munich breweries at Oktoberfest in the Art and Culture Blog:

  OKTOBERFEST: Das Wiesn-Bier fließt in die Maßkrüge. Das Münchner OKTOBERFEST-Bier: Das Wiesn-Bier 2022. Sechs große Münchner Brauereien liefern das Bier zum Münchner Oktoberfest = OKTOBERFEST: The Wiesn beer flows into the steins. The Munich OKTOBERFEST beer: The Wiesn beer 2022. Six major Munich breweries are supplying the beer for the Munich Oktoberfest


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Standort: München Theresienwiese, 80 München, Deutschland