Good Beer Guide Munich for Beer Lovers

Good Beer Guide Munich for Beer Lovers

Bavarian beers are generally malty, a lot maltier than northern Germany's. I have been having Bavarian beers almost as staple drink for seveal years since I moved from London. I am happy with the beer we have here and have adopted its sweet maltiness as the base of my beer appreciation. I love Belgian and other European beer, but I don't bother to get hold of them because a) you hardly encounter non-local beers in this beer kingdom, not to mention foreign ones and b) I believe that it is best to sample local brews, which are not far away from the brewery, therefore fresh. People say in Germany 'Bier muss laufen,' which means beer must flow to be fresh. I hope you all enjoy Bavarian beer and its freshness during your stay in Munich.

Big Six Breweries in Munich

are Augustiner, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Spaten-Franziskaner, Löwenbräu, Hofbräu. Only these six are allowed to serve at Oktoberfest. There are a few micros, too, so there are around 15 breweries altogether in the area. Actually Paulaner and Hacker-Pshorr are the same brewer with two different brands and it belongs to Heineken Group. Spaten-Franziskaner and Löwenbräu are also a group company, which has been bought by Interbrew, a Belgian multi-national firm. Hofbräu is a state-owned brewery along with Weihenstephan and Augustiner is the only family-owned brewery in Munich.

Where to Drink in Munich

Even though you can usually trust the quality of beer served in pubs and restaurants in Munich, there are some nicer places to go. Here are my recommendations; some are already in most guide books, of course. Click the link to jump.

How much beer do you want in your glass?

When you order a beer (or ein Helles, ein Dunkles, ein Weissbier, whatever beer you want), you will probably get a half litre of it except Pils, which is always 0.3 litre. If you would like just a small glass of beer, you can ask for 'ein kleines' from one of the beers on tap. Some pubs/restaurants are reluctant to serve smaller amount for some reasons, so try ordering 'einen Schnitt' and they will still bring you a half litre glass but filled with liquid halfway. In the self-service beer gardens the minimum quantity is one litre and there is no Schnitt.

Beers in Munich

What's it called?	What's it like?	How do I order it in German?	Photo
Helles (hell: pale in German)	Though Michael Jackson says 'Never ask for "a beer"' in his Beer Companion, people do. If you order 'a beer' in Munich, you are most likely to get this (Helles) in a half-litre glass. ‘Hell’ means pale in German and when you order ‘ein Helles' you are ordering ‘a pale one’. There are other pale-coloured beers in Bavaria such as Pils and Weissbier, but they are not ‘Helles’. Helles is a very pleasant bottom fermented beer (lager) with mild hoppiness on your tongue that balances with the maltiness. If you are a malt fan, this is the beer for you to drink in Munich. You can probably call it Bavarian ‘session beer’ that people drink without getting drunk when they sit in a local pub with friends for several hours. It is also perfect to match heavy Bavarian specialities. Enjoy the maltiness that lingers in the mouth. (4.5～5%)	Ein Helles, bitte./Zwei helle, bitte./Ein kleines Helles, bitte. (for a smaller glass)
Dunkles (dunkel:dark in German) 'u' is pronounced as in 'put' not 'cup'	The way they call this reddish-dark bottom fermented beer is what it looks like. It is called 'Dunkles' - dark one. It has distinctive sweet and caramel-like aroma from the roasted malt. Hoppiness varies depending on the brewer. Very pleasant and it is almost like fresh and moist brown bread especially when it is unfiltered (sometimes found in brewpubs). All beers must have looked similar to this before pale malt was available in Bavaria. Combined with lagering (maturing at cold temperature), which was established in Munich in 1830s, this dark beer required fewer hops (natural preservatives) than English ales because there was less possibility of infection, hense the malt-accented flavour. Unfortunately Münchener Dunkles has been given up for paler beers as main product by many brewers, but you still find small family-owned brewpubs brewing only this traditional dark lager for the local people in Franconian villages.	Ein Dunkles, bitte./Zwei dunkle, bitte.
Truebes (trueb: cloudy in German)	This type of beer has several different names. Truebes (trueb: cloudy in German), Helles natur-trueb, Unfiltriert(es) (unfiltered), Kellerbier, Zwickelbier and Ungespundet(es) are used to call the unfiltered lager. It might be the regional difference as some names are seen typically in Franconia, e.g. Ungespundet. It is a cloudy, malty and yeasty beer sometimes with stronger hop flavour than Helles. It is one of my favorite beers. It tastes to me more like food rather than a drink because of the yeast, which makes the beer cloudy and thicker. Imagine you are having potage (not consomme). Not all brewers in and around Munich produce this type of beer, but there are a few places where you can try it. (See 'Where to drink in Munich' below.)	Ein truebes, bitte./Zwei truebe, bitte.
Weissbier (white beer) or Weizenbier (wheat beer)	It is a wheat beer of Bavarian style. It's unfiltered, cloudy, yeasty, very fruity, slightly tart, tangy, lemony, refreshing and has banana-clove-like aroma and flavour balanced with decent hoppiness. It is served in a tall half litre glass with thick fluffy head. At least 50% (of grist) wheat is used therefore also called 'Weizenbier', but 'Weissbier' is commonly used in Southern Bavaria. I have read and heard some different explanations of why it is called Weissbier here and Weizenbier in the other parts of Germany, and the most convincing one is: people used to call (or still do) their beer as simple as what it looks like - its colour, e.g. braunbier (brown beer), rotbier (red beer), and it is not very difficult to imagine that the unfiltered wheat beer looked cloudy and probably white because of the sediment. However other beers that were cloudy and white-ish might have also been called Weissbier (white beer) no matter what ingredients were in it. To distinguish wheat beer from other types of beer brewed with other grains, they started to call wheat beer Weizenbier (wheat beer). This was not necessary in Bavaria as there had already been a strict rule or some sort (as usual) that Weissbier had to be brewed with wheat. And Weissbier seems to be normaly with Hefe (yeast) because the colour comes from the cloudiness. This may explain why the Bavarians always ask for 'ein Weissbier' whereas people from other parts of the country often say 'ein Hefe-Weizenbier' when ordering. If you want a dark wheat beer for richer, maltier and caramel-like taste, 'ein dunkles Weissbier' will do, but you don't even need to say 'dunkles' when the dark one is the only Weissbier they have on the beer menu. Here 'weiss' no longer means white quite interestingly.	Ein helles Weissbier, bitte./Ein dunkles Weissbier, bitte.
Pils	Pilsner. Bavarian pilsner is much maltier than the original. Not as bitter as north-German pils like Beck's and Jever, either. The aroma is wonderful; the hops used is mainly Hallerauer from Hallertau region to the north of Munich. It gives the beer delicate, flowery aroma. Served in a 0.3 litre glass with firm head.	Ein Pils, bitte./Zwei Pils, bitte.
Bockbier or Starkbier (strong beer)	Stronger beer; 6 - 8% (abv). Doppelbock (double bock) can be 9 - 10%. Breweries have seasonal bockbier on tap during 'Starkbierzeit' in March. Most bockbier has a name with -tor at the end, eg. Salvator (Paulaner), Triumphator (Loewenbraeu), Maximator (Augusiner), Aviator (Airbraeu). Bottom fermented.	Ein Bockbier, bitte./Zwei Bockbier, bitte.
Oktoberfestbier	Brewed for Oktoberfest (end of Sep. to beginning of Oct.). Beautifully golden-copper coloured and very malty beer. A bit stronger than Helles, so that the people get high quickly at the festival. Served in a litre mug (Mass) only.	Eine Mass, bitte./Zwei Mass, bitte.

Where to Drink in Munich

Andechs am Dom Weinstr. 7a 089 / 29 84 81 http://www.kloster-andechs.de	Andechs is a monastic brewery in the small village of Andechs, to the south of Munich. The brewery is at the top of a hill overlooking the Amersee lake. If you have time, visit the brewery to sample fresh brews directly from the brewery tap. There's S-Bahn and bus connection from Munich city. If you don't have enough time, you can go to this restaurant in Munich city centre and have draught Andechs beer. Try refreshingly lemony Hellesweissbier and Doppelbock Dunkel. Food: Bavarian
Nuernberger Bratwurst-Gloeckel Frauenplatz 9 089 / 22 03 85 http://www.augustinerbraeu.de	This tiny, cozy restaurant is located just off main shopping street, at the foot of Frauenkirche (church) in the city centre. Very close to Andechs am Dom (above). As the name suggests, grilled Nuremberger sausages are worth trying as well as the Augustiner beers served from wooden casks. Augustiner Helles is a must. Food: Bavarian
Altes Hackerhaus Sendlinger Str.14 089 / 260 5026 http://www.hackerhaus.de	It is a Hacker-Pschorr beer restaurant. Hacker-Pchorr is one of Munich's big six brewers. The restaurant is conveniently located in the city centre, but it does not get noisy inside. There is a patio in the middle of the building, where you can enjoy the sun as well as the beer. Try Helles and Pils. Food: Bavarian
Augustiner Grossgaststaetten Neuhauser Str. 27 089 / 2318 3257 http://www.augustinerbraeu.de http://www.augustiner-restaurant.com	Because it is in the busy shopping streeet, this Augustiner restaurant is also popular among tourists. The waiters and waitresses are in tranditional Bavarian clothes, and the interior is quite German, too. Sitting outside on the terrrace having nice beer watching people is just lovely in summer. Try the golden-coloured Helles or Dunkles here to wash down the typical Bavarian food.
Franziskaner Fuchsenstuben Perusastr. 5 089 / 23 18 120 http://www.zum-franziskaner.de http://www.franziskaner.info	This restaurant is easily recognisable because of the blue and white Bavarian flags flattering outside. Try the refreshing, fruity Franziskaner Weissbier with Weisswuerste, boiled white veal sausages. Bavarian tradition says you should eat Weisswurst in the morning, but of course you can try them whenever you like as long as the restaurant serves them. Food: Bavarian
Loewenbraeukeller Nymphenburger Str. 2 089 / 52 60 21 http://www.loewenbraeu.de	It is located across the street from Loewenbraeu brewery, so you are right to expect fresh draught beer any time. You can even smell beer being brewed; the air around the area smells malt-sweet. There is a beer garden to enjoy the sun with beer. Try the refreshingly fruity yet hoppy Hellesweissbier. Not far from Hauptbahnhof, Central Station.
Spatenhaus an der Oper Residenzstr. 12 089 / 290 7060 http://www.spatenbraeu.de	One of the eating-guide-listed restaurants from Spaten brewery. It is just across from the National Theatre and there are quite a few people having a meal before or after the opera. Try Helles and Pils with wonderful bouquet. Food: Typical Bavarian
Weisses Braeuhaus Tal 7 089 / 29 98 75 http://www.schneider-weisse.de	The beer is great; it is on my list of best Bavarian beers. Try Schneiderweisse, darker and fuller than average (pale) Weissbier, then move on to Aventinus, doppelbock wheat beer (8%), for richer taste. I would not recomend anywhere else but here to sample Schneiderweisse in Munich. Don't be put off by the waiting staff who look and sometimes really are unfriendly. Enjoy the beer. Food: Bavarian
Paulaner am Nockherberg Hochstr. 77 089 / 45 99 130 http://www.nockerberg.com	It is located outside city centre, on a hill overlooking Paulaner brewery, one of Munich's big six. There was a fire several years ago, and it destroyed most of the building and brewing facility. It was rebuilt but they no longer brew on the premises (the brew kettle in the restaurant is just for the show). There are lots of people having 'Salvator,' a doppelbock during Starkbierzeit (strong beer season) in March. There is a beer garden too. Paulaner brewery is partly (49%) owned by Heineken, which is a great concern, but the beer is still good. Keep our fingers crossed. House beer: Nockherberger, unfiltered.
Isar-Braeu Kreuzeckstr. 23 Grosshesselohe (Train: S7, direction: Wolfratshausen, Get off at Grosshesselhohe) 089 / 79 89 61 WWW site Brew restaurant	This lovely brewpub/restaurant was converted from the station building in 1988. It is in the suburbs of Munich and you can get there on the S-Bahn train No. 7. It takes around twenty minutes from the centre of Munich, but it is worth the journey. There are tables and a bar on the ground floor and you can have a look at the brewing equipment on the way to downstairs (finally to the toilets). Food: Bavarian
Paulaner Braeuhaus Kapuzinerplatz 5 089 / 54 46 11 11 Brewrestaurant	Paulaner's brewpub. So the beer is fresh. There is a beer garden at the back of the building. Like any other beer gardens, there are people who are enjoying beer after work in the early afternoon on Friday.
Unionsbraeu Einsteinstr. 42 089 / 47 76 77 http://www.unionsbraeu.de Brewrestaurant	Nice, though Loewenbraeu-owned, brew restaurant, that serves, on tap, a house beer called 'natur-trueb,' unfiltered pale bottom fermented beer. The restaurant has wider sellection of food than 'Keller' downstairs, where they serve simple dishes. Also beer garden, back of the building.
NoMiYa Woerthstr. 7 089 / 44 84 095 WWW site	Very unique place with well-sellected Bavarian beers and Japanese food - Sushi rolls and spit-roasted meat, fish, vegetables. The most popular beer here is unfiltered pale beer (truebes) from Hellbraeu in a small town called Altoetting. It is served in a half litre stein with lovely head. Weissbier is Unertl's from Haag also in Bavaria. The dark, banana-and-clove-like fruity Weissbier has a very rich flavour. Always busy with regulars. This place is a real must in Munich.
Airbraeu Flughafen Muenchen (Munich Airport) Location 089 / 975 93111 http://www.airbraeu.de Brewrestaurant	I didn't even know there is a brew restaurant IN the airport, where I have already been quite a few times. It is called, not very surprisingly, 'airbraeu.' I headed for the airport not to catch a flight but to get a glass of beer as soon as I heard about this brew restaurant. There are two regular beers: FliegerQuell, quite bitter unfiltered Helles (see picture); Kumulus, Hellesweissbier. They also have seasonal brew such as 'Aviator,' a bockbier during Starkbierzeit to around April. Have your first or last Bavarian beer here.
Wirtshaus Ayingers am Platzl Platzl 1a 089 / 2370 3666 http://www.ayinger-bier.de	Aying is a town to the south-east of Munich, and it is not so difficult to get fresh Ayinger beer in Munich. Actually this restaurant is in the city center just across the famous Hofbraeuhaus. Try Ayinger Kellerbier, which is unfiltered pale lager, served in a half-litre glass.
Forschungsbraeustuberl Unterhahingerstr. 76 Perlach 089 / 670 1169 Brewpub	Lovely brew pub with a beer garden in the suburbs. There are only two kinds of beer; Pilsissimus Export and St. Jakobus Bock, both served in a litre stein. Pilsissimus is a copper coloured lager with fresh hoppy aroma and maltiness. It has richer flavour than Helles or Pils and a bit stronger as the name 'Export' suggests (5.4%). St. Jakobus Bock is even stronger (7.8%) but seems to be regulars' favorite. This bottom fermented amber beer has very rich flavour with sweet maltiness.

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