I've got a nice five days away coming up in a month or so. Once again to my favourite city, Munich, this time accompanied by twenty odd CAMRA chums, as this is an official "do" and of course, the lovely E. This trip wasn't planned by me, but by our Social Secretary, Stopwatch Sid. I met him last night to discuss the gig as I know the place quite well. That is I know the boozers quite well and we wanted the gang to get the benefit of a quick tour round, so as not to waste valuable drinking time.
Over excellent pints of Ossett Yorkshire Gold - a perfect crossover beer if ever there was one - we knocked up a rough itinerary for the first full day and agreed a Sunday trip to Kloster Andechs, out in the countryside, but with superb beer and a balconied beer keller overlooking lovely countryside. I have been before and may therefore go instead to Bräustüberl Tegernsee, whose beer I have been selling for years at the BSF Bar at the Great British Beer Festival. It's on a lake and it will be nice to see where it comes from and it will please E.
One thing we both agreed on as a must, is a visit to the famous Hofbräuhaus. This huge, rambling, raucous, beer hall is seen as typical by many foreign visitors, but is actually a very rare beast these days. Often looked down on as a tourist trap, it does in fact offer one of the best drinking experiences of your life if you just go with the flow. I can't wait to grab a Maßkrug of dunkel and just have a good time.How many readers of this blog have been to the Hofbräuhaus or would like to go? Is it on your "must do" list? If it isn't, it should be.
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ReplyDeleteNot a 'must' for me, I'm afraid. I've tried a variety of bottled German beers over the years - some mail ordered, others from our excellent bottled beer shop in Southport. I found quite a few that were perfectly acceptable, but nothing that I felt I must have again. Each to their own, I suppose.
ReplyDeleteHofbräuhaus is as much about the atmosphere as the beer itself, in my opinion at least- though my Dad and I both really enjoyed the dunkel, and the food wasn't bad either. Having said that,I don't know Munich particularly well, so can't comment in comparison with other places to eat or drink.
ReplyDeleteI spent a nice sunny afternoon drinking dunkel in the back garden of the Hofbräuhaus a few years back. I would recommend it to anyone visiting Munich, with the proviso that there are other places too.
ReplyDeleteIt's fun to do once, but the vast majority of Munich residents would not be seen dead in there.
ReplyDeleteI went there once, didn't stay for a session though.
ReplyDeleteBeeron. I am afraid that is quatsch. Nonsense.
ReplyDeletebeen there but couldnt get a seat.went to the little Ayinger pub instead.beer straight from the barrel behind the bar.lovely. cheers
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you think that's nonsense, I'm only going off the opinion of every German I've ever come across here. I've heard it described as "dirty", "smelly", "only for tourists", "Germans will not go in there of course". (Yes I know a few do). The only bloke I spoke to who went there said he went there to pick up Japanese girls.
ReplyDeleteI spent a fortnight in Germany for the footy World Cup in 2006. I was lucky enough to have a ticket for Australia v Brazil in Munich. Imagine Hofbräuhaus jam packed with drunken Aussies. I've never seen so many beautiful blonde women absolutely paralytically drunk. It was great night. I do agree though that the Ayinger pub was higher quality.
ReplyDeleteI traveled to Munich Nov '09, armed with Ron Pattinson's "Trips (South)", and spent a week. I delayed going to HB until the last day, where ironically I tasted the best dunkel in Munich. When I return to Munich, HB will not be the last place visited nor will there be just one visit.
ReplyDeleteAyinger, across the street, has excellent food, and well worth more than one visit, but HB has better dunkel. I even had Helles from the wooden keg there, but I prefer dunkel, myself.
pge
Sam (who writes for us occasionally) has been, but I haven't. Would like to. In 2003 me and a bunch of mates did Hamburg and Nuremburg as part of our InterRail trip to Europe, but missed Munich and Berlin. Mistake!
ReplyDeleteI had the chance for a free trip to Oktoberfest last year via a supplier at work, unfortunately I had a competitive pitch the same week and was unable to go. Was gutted!
So Munich an dBerli are both high on the list of future city breaks/beer trips, yes!
Surely there must be an Irish pub or two around town worth visiting!
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that the beer on offer at both the Englischer Garten and Viktualienmarkt rotates between the city's breweries, so it might be worth dropping in daily.
When exactly is this again? It's POSSIBLE we'll be up your way (well, Yorks) at the beginning of June. This reminds me...is Christi Himmelfahrt a holiday for you lot? Hope not.
Forgot to note. Tegernsee is awe...fantastic, we made a day trip there from München once years ago. Not a quick train trip though, IIRC. Checking bahn.de suggest things have improved: 61 minutes direct, hourly. Huh.
ReplyDeleteIn which case, yes, do it. But Andechs too: it's so lovely, how can you pass it up? Sunday will be a madhouse though--they know this, right?
Did Sid plan the Sachsenhausener do too?
RedNev - I think you've missed the point. It isn't about how good the beer is. It is about the place and atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteBN - Of course
Beeron - The place of full of Germans, particularly out of summer and even then just look at the huge stammtisch area and the number of groups that regularly meet there.(It's on their web site) The point is that actually you will meet Munchcheners there, even outside the stammtisch. I certainly have done.
As for copping off with Japanese women. No chance I'd have thought.
As for copping off with Japanese women. No chance I'd have thought.
ReplyDeleteNot with E looking over your shoulder, anyway.
Hi
ReplyDeleteTegernsee is well worth the trip, we loved it and am envious. Enjoy!
In my experience (I've been in twenty or so times, showing visitors around - you have to take them there) it lacks the "casual local" customers - the vast majority are the "hardcore locals" who have one and only one boozing place and tourists.
ReplyDeleteI agree it's a great laugh, but you'd be amazed how many of my colleagues reply "dirty" when I ask them why they don't go in there.
Talking about the place has made me decide to pop in for lunch ^_^
I could always put one in my pocket when nobody's looking.
ReplyDeleteWe having one in the HBH then? You being free, I could always look after your beer while you give the Japanese lasses a go.
I've been on three occasions and had a great time each time. Last excursion was last mid October. It's not my favorite place in Munich but I feel compelled to visit at least once each time I'm in Munich.
ReplyDeleteMy personal favorite is Hirschgarten.
Only one destination in Munich for me, the Augustinerkeller beer garden. Both the Edelstoff served by gravity from wooden barrels and the bottle conditioned Weissbier are superb, and the setting is pretty special too.
ReplyDeleteI'll never get people's love for Augustiner Edelstoff.
ReplyDeleteMatt - Been there and as it is so handy, will likely go again.
ReplyDeleteMatt, Did you mean the Augustiner Beer Garden on Arnulfstrasse?
ReplyDeleteThey hold a Stark beer-fest in the Keller in Jan/Feb.
Great place, a vaulted brick ceiling the old lagering cellar.
I would love to go back to Munich anytime of the year.
I think Munich beer is gassy and pretty much tasteless, even the much-vaunted Edelstoff.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I've been there more than once and, yes, I've tried the beers at the places of origin... I just don't think the city is capable of brewing very much worth talking about.
It typifies all that is dull and safe in the German scene and it's not for me at all; don't get me wrong, I don't want to drink citra-hopped IPA's in Germany, but I'd like a bit of flavour in the beers, not as much over-extraction and much less industrial-tasting hop extracts!
Me too Gazza but Munich is all about place not beer.
ReplyDeleteI went to the HBH for the first time on a recent trip to Munich and was very pleasantly surprised. It's not really any more expensive than anywhere else in Munich and struck me as that typical German institution: a tourist *attraction* which is not a tourist *trap*. We sat next to a family of locals who made us feel very welcome. And the beer (especially the dunkel) was very pleasant, if possibly rather 'clean' for some people's tastes.
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