The Reinheitsgebot and German Beer Day!

Bitburger Pils
The Phoenix Club, Anaheim, CA

*Originally Published 4/23/2021, Updated 4/23/2022*

Happy #GermanBeerDay!

On this day over 500 years ago, April 23, 1516, Duke of Bavaria, Wilheim IV decreed what will eventually be the longest still-standing brewing standard we now refer to as the German Purity Law: The Reinheitsgebot.

The story goes, this law was enacted so brewers could produce quality beer using only water, hops, and barley malt. Yeast was not mentioned because they did not yet know about what it was, it is said. Although it makes for a wonderful story, this is only partially true. Of the over 300 translated words, a bit less than 30 of them are about beer.

Among other reasons, the Purity Law was legislated to stabilize the price of bread by ensuring barley was used for beer and resulted in only backers could use wheat for bread and the royals could use wheat for their beer. Wilheim IV, as a member of the royal Bavarian family, the Wittelsbach’s, had a historical, unwilling hand in the modern-day Weissbier (Hefeweizen) with this order, too. By the way, the Wittelsbach's are also the royal family that would later celebrate (in 1810) a wedding of a prince that would later become the Oktoberfest.

An undisputed positive result was the ban on the use of some ingredients that were harming beer drinkers before the proclamation was enacted. Additives, such as belladonna or wormwood, would have some psychedelic and/or toxic effects that understandably found their way off the list of approved list of ingredients.

It can be argued the non-mention of yeast is because it did not stay in the beer. However, it is most likely that yeast was indeed known at that time because there were brewery workers called ‘hefener,’ and ‘hefe’ means yeast. They were responsible to put the ‘zeug’ (stuff) leftover from one batch to another to encourage fermentation. Perhaps they did know it was yeast, which could explain why it was left out, but they knew it did the job. In other words, it may be that yeast was simply implied.

This law only applied to Bavarian breweries, too. Lager brewing was very well established by this time and the restrictions in The Purity Law were favorable, luckily. In 1553, Wilheim’s successor and son, Duke Albrecht V, outlawed brewing in the summer months due to the inconsistent beers being produced during these warmer months. The dates Albrecht chose were April 23rd, the original date of his father’s proclamation, to September 29th. They didn't understand why, yet they knew fermentation and cold storage (“Lagern,” German verb “to store”) done in the colder months of the year resulted in higher quality beers.

Northern breweries were predominantly Ale producers and most used either wheat and/or other spices. In fact, Köln (Cologne) enacted a similar decree in 1603 that outlawed bottom-fermenting (Lager) brewing to preserve the brewing tradition and beer quality. Some have speculated this was done in direct response, while the timing may only be a coincidence. The more logical reason is the clement in Northern Germany is warmer on average and is more suitable for top-fermenting (Ale) conditions.

To add more confusion, in 1551, Bavaria began to allow the use of some additional ingredients, such as coriander, and in 1616 more ingredients were added, like salt. German Unification in 1871 resulted in a law that omitted mention of any ingredient restriction for taxation purposes. Ale and Lagers were separated in the law in 1906 and the ingredient restriction only applied to Lagerbier.

The first time the decree was referred to as “The Purity Law” was not until after World War I. Bavaria joined the new German union under the pretense that their version of the Purity Law joined with them, thereby creating two laws once again, for Ales and Lagers. It was referred to as the Reinheitsgebot from 1919 going forward. This means the Lager brewing tradition that was perfected in Bavaria can still adhere to their law while the Ale producers (Kölsch, Alt, Weisse, Gose, etc…) are also legal. Both laws are now under the Biersteuergesetz (Beer Tax Law) after the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, unifying Germany yet again.

In 1987, the European Union declared that imported beer into Germany does not need to meet The Purity Law.

The 1993( most recent) update to the law further clarifies what was done in 1906. The law is still the same, with the addition of being more restrictive in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg with no additional adjunct sugars permitted, even for Ale, and Bavaria can not use sugar adjuncts even for export.

Clear enough? No!? Well, that's understandable. Given the turbulent past in that region, the constant modification of the law makes it difficult to follow. Add to that the use of the word Reinheitsgebot in marketing and we have the understanding (or misunderstanding?) of the proclamation.

On this German Beer Day, take joy that the pride of German brewing tradition is alive and well. Hoist your pint up and appreciate the part of history that played an integral part in shaping that beer.

Prost!

Gilbert “Charlie” Perez, Advanced Cicerone®

References

Alworth, J. (2015, 2021). The Beer Bible. Workman.

Dornbusch, H. D. (1997). Prost! The Story of German Beer. Brewers Publications (Brewers Association).

Kraus-Weyermann, T., Dornbusch, H. D. (2018). Dark Lagers: History, Mystery, Brewing Techniques, Recipes. Master Brewers Associations of the Americas (MBAA).

Märzen/Oktoberfest

The Bavarian Crest and flag colors adorn this
Oktoberfest banner.

"O'zapft is!"

And with that loud cry, the ceremonial first keg is tapped; the world’s biggest party is underway ('O'zapft is!' means It’s tapped! in German, Bavarian dialect).

The Oktoberfest celebration in Munich is quite attractive to many Americans because of the giant mugs of beers and mass consumption of the golden liquid contained within them. That’s not saying the proud Bavarians won’t indulge and intake their fair share of beer, there is more to this festival than beer drinking. How did this celebration become a tradition in the first place? And, more importantly, why is there a beer named after the festival? Why is it held on grounds which used to be a meadow and is named after a princess? Let’s dive into the past as I explain the interesting (and sometimes convoluted) beginnings of not only the festival, but also the beer that bares its name.

The best place to start is, well, the beginning. Technology, brewing ingenuity, and key events have an important role in the following timeline. It's quite a ride.

Ready? Here we go...

In the 1550’s, the Bavarian government outlawed brewing in the summer months due to the inconsistent beers being produced during this time of year. They didn't understand why, yet they knew fermentation and cold storage (lager) done in the colder months of the year resulted in higher quality beers.

Brewers stepped up production during March (give or take) and brewed plenty of beer to be stored away. These beers were quite strong, dark, and well hopped. Kept in cool caves, they eventually mellowed out. They eventually became known as Märzenbier (March beer).

In congruent with the new harvest, brewing would begin again in late September or early October. Evidence shows that the remaining Märzenbiers were consumed in mass quantities to free-up the casks for the upcoming brewing season. Not exactly a party or celebration, yet still a good time as you could imagine.

Fast-forward to 1807. Gabriel Sedlmayr, Master Brewer to the royal court of Bavaria, obtains a small brewery in Munich... Spaten. Sedlmayr would spend the rest of his life perfecting the bottom-fermenting (lager) practice and teaching his sons (Gabriel -the younger- and Joseph) the trade. 

Before we get further into the Sedlmayr’s timeline, one key event took place on October 12, 1810. The Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. A grand wedding party was held just outside of the city gates on a meadow. Over 40,000 Bavarians came to party and they stayed for several days. Of all things, the main attraction to the commoners was a horse race during the last day of festivities. The celebration continued year after year, eventually evolving and merging with the celebration of agriculture, harvest, and clearing out the casks for the new brewing season (and as mentioned before, these older casked beers were in their prime condition with the extended aging). Horse racing eventually was dropped from the celebrations. To honor the princess, the grounds that continue to hold this party is named Theresienwiese, Therese’s Meadow in German, Bavarian dialect.

The first Oktoberfest was a wedding celebration that lasted more than a few days... and there was no focus beer, mainly because there might not have been any available. By 1814, there is literature mentioning generous amounts of beer. Now, we have the world’s biggest party where about 30% of all Munich brewery production is accounted for!

Let us rejoin our brewers in their timeline and find out how we arrived with a beer style named after the festival.

In 1833, brewers Gabriel Sedlmayr (the younger) of the Spaten Brewery his good friend, Anton Dreher of the Dreher Brewery in Vienna made a research trip to England. Their goal was to witness and study a revolutionary hot air kiln, which kilned green malt to a relatively pale consistency. They returned and immediately got to work creating paler malts and incorporating them at their respective breweries.

Sedlmayr released an amber lager during the 1841 Oktoberfest known simply as a Märzen made with his pale grain dubbed Munich malt (although this Märzen was paler in comparison to Märzenbiers prior). Likewise, a few months later Dreher released an even paler amber lager made with his own pale grain dubbed Vienna malt. These two beers were the precursors to what we know as the Oktoberfest/Märzen and Vienna Lagers today.

Following Sedlmayr’s death in 1839, his two sons -Gabriel and Joseph- assume the ownership responsibilities.

Joseph would later (in 1842) withdraw from Spaten to pursue his own brewing venture and would acquire the Leist Brewery. Joseph after a while attains the Franziskaner and shuts down the Leist Brewry. By 1865, Joseph’s only focus is brewing operations at Franziskaner.

While all this is happening, a brewer by the name Josef Groll released his pale golden lager to the unsuspecting public of Pilsen, Bohemia (modern-day Czech) on November 11, 1842. It did not take long for this beer to gain footing with beer drinkers. Virtually all other breweries in the world, including Germany, would follow suit in creating paler beers. No market was unaffected, not even the traditional Märzenbiers.

Joseph was quite aware of the growing popularity of pale-colored beers and he applied it to a modified Vienna Lager formula and released it during the 1872 Oktoberfest. This beer was Franziskaner’s Ur- Märzen. The copper colored, toasty, crisp Oktoberfest beer we know and love was finally born!

The development of refrigeration by Carl von Linde in 1873 encouraged breweries to slowly move into year round production (ironically enough, the first refrigeration system was developed for the Spaten Brewery). The Märzen style beers evolved into specialty products specially made for the festival. Märzen as a “March” beer slowly became a style designation associated with the festival. Naturally, they are now known as one and the same, Märzen/Oktoberfest. With this mash-up, the need to create a special, darker, stronger beer in March eventually dissipated. There was simply no need for it any longer.

Spaten and Franziskaner would join in 1922 bringing the Sedlmayr’s back under one umbrella of influential brewers.

In recent times, since 1990 to be exact, the Oktoberfest style has split into two distinct versions: Bright gold to deep gold Festbier and the traditional densely gold to coppery-orange Märzen.

Deep-Golden Festbier
(Photo Credit: Paulaner.com)

The traditional Märzen/Oktoberfest beers are copper colored and very bright with a dense cap of creamy foam. Rich malty aromas with toasty notes. Sweet yet pleasantly bitter on the palate with complex malt backbone, medium bodied, and clean, dry finish. These are the versions we commonly see here in the United States as they are now produced mainly for export. As mentioned above, the need to create this version as a necessity is no longer valid due to the development of refrigeration. That’s not to say traditional Märzen/Oktoberfest beers are not available in Bavaria because they are (just not as common as before).

In Munich, the Oktoberfest style beer is golden in color. As other lessons in beer anthropology has taught us, the popularity of the Pilsner forced brewers to get with the program to keep their thirsty customers happy. Spaten introduced a Helles Lager to the Munich locals in 1895 in response to the growing demand for the golden beer. This slowly carried over to Oktoberfest by the 1990's. The most popular beer served in the modern Oktoberfest is either a Helles or a supercharged version of Helles (slightly stronger in ABV and a deeper shade of gold, resembling a Dortmunder Export/German Helles Export) and is what is served as Oktoberfest-bier.

The official golden beer (Oktoberfest-bier) described above also goes by the following style names: Festbier, Wiesn, or Wiesnbier. These beers are gold in color, brilliant clarity with a creamy white head. Pilsner malt dominates the aroma with notes of grain-like sweetness. Not as much toasty flavors or aroma. Low bitterness in flavor and finish, with a well-rounded and soft malt character.

Whew!

That was intense. The Oktoberfest beer style history is quite expansive. Short of simply saying, “Oktoberfest is the celebration of beers, harvest, and agriculture that began with a royal wedding,” which is fairly accurate, understanding the significant historical events and timeline brings even more depth to this already amazing beer style.

Regardless of the version you are drinking, serve in a traditional dimpled 'masskrug' and enjoy with a Bratwursts or other local eats for the best experience. It’s even better if you are ‘mit Freunden, bei Oktoberfest.'

Ich liebe dieses Bier. One of my favorite styles, indeed.

Prost!

-Gilbert "Charlie" Perez, Certified Cicerone®

"What the Hell(es)?!"

Weihenstephaner Original served at
The Bräustüberl’s ("Brewery Parlour") Beer Garden

Visit any traditional "bierstube" (beer hall) in Munich and you'll be treated to the testament of Bavarian brewing tradition. Centuries of brewing expertise, science, and beer history come together to bring us this tantalizing style: the Munich Helles.

"Helles" in German means "bright" or "light." Similar to a number of beer styles in Germany, a Munich Helles is also named after its appearance.

To understand how this beer came into fruition, a bit of brewing history should be looked at. 

In 1833, brewers Gabriel Sedlmayr of the Spaten Brewery and Anton Dreher of the Dreher Brewery in Vienna made a research trip to England. Their goal was to witness and study a revolutionary hot air kiln, which kilned green malt to a relatively pale consistency. They might have had a hunch this would forever changed malt production. 

Armed with their new found knowledge, Sedlmayr and Dreher went to work at their respected breweries. Sedlmayr released an amber lager during the 1841 Oktoberfest known simply as a Märzen made with his pale grain dubbed Munich malt. Likewise, a few months later Dreher released an even paler amber lager made with his own pale grain, dubbed Vienna malt. These two beers were the precursors to what we know as the Oktoberfest/Märzen and Vienna Lagers. 

Then, the world would change forever...

On November 11th, 1842, a Bavarian brewer, Josef Groll, released his pale golden lager to the unsuspecting public of Pilsen, Bohemia (modern-day Czech). It did not take long for this beer to dominate the world. Virtually all other breweries in the world, including those in Germany, had to fallow with their own version of this crowed-pleasing favorite.

On March 21st, 1894, the Spaten brewery (now operated by Sedlmayr's three sons) sent a test-cask of their creation to the port city of Hamburg. Over a short time, this golden brew gained more and more footing on the testing grounds. Spaten decided it was time to release their creation to the citizens of Munich. The Munich Helles was released on its home turf on June 20th, 1895 and it has never lost traction.

To this day, Helles remains one of the most consumed styles in Bavaria. Even most of the beer consumed during Oktoberfest is either Helles or a modified, slightly stronger version (slowly, but surely replacing the very beer that bares the festival's name: the traditional amber colored Oktoberfest). 

Pale gold in color, brilliant clarity with a creamy white head. Pilsner malt dominates the aroma with notes of grain-like sweetness. Balanced flavor where malt and hops do not overpower each other, rather keep one another in perfect harmony, with slightly sweet finished and just enough balanced bitterness. Medium-bodied brew that is sure to keep your mouth watering for another sip.

Elegant, subtle, and clean are some of the most common -and appropriate- descriptors used to identify a Helles. Usually brewed using only a single type of malt (generally Pilsner malt) and one noble hop verity, creating such a balanced and delicate beer is the crown achievement of Bavarian brewmasters.

Serve in a traditional mug at 40°F and enjoy. Go ahead, have another. At a range of 4.7 to 5.4 ABV, you'll find difficult not to order "noch eins" (one more).

Prost! 

-Gilbert "Charlie" Perez, Certified Cicerone®

Germany: A Life-Changing Experience

I recently returned from a trip that was three years in the making. I spent most of my time in the state of Bavaria and explored the beautiful architecture, culture, and pride of the people of Bayern (Bavaria). From the country side of Aying to the history rich town of Bamberg, the beauty of Bavaria is nothing I have ever experienced before. And, let us not forget the amazing beer that Bavaria has to offer!

If you are a beer enthusiast/geek/nerd (if you are reading this, there is a 95% chance you are) like me, then you should be well-aware of how serious Germans take their beer. They even have laws on what ingredients can be used! There are only a handful of countries in the world that come close to passion and quality that Germany adheres to (Czech and Belgium come to mind).

I experienced an incredible beer epiphany in Germany. I can still remember the complex Rauchbier with its smoky flavor yet easy to drink, the refreshing Weissbier for breakfast with some fresh-backed pretzels and Weisswurst, or the crisp and bitter Pils bursting with perfumy noble hop character. These beers showed me what tradition is all about.

Although most beers are widely available in the States, there is nothing like having a beer at its origin. The freshness and quality of all the beers completely took me by surprise. I never imagined just how different and delicious these beers truly are. Simply amazing!

The travel bug has bit me deep and has latched on pretty tightly. Planning to places like Czech, Belgium, and Ireland (and of course, a return trip to Germany) is no longer out of the question. In fact, a voyage to Czech (Prague and Pilsen, to be exact) and/or Belgium will most likely be my next European adventure. I've never been much of a traveler besides road trips. But now that I have a purpose, the mere thought of going to different regions excites me!

I could go on and on, but pictures are worth a thousand words and speak volumes to what I experienced. Below are some of the pictures I took during my journey and beer exploration. Enjoy the pictures while I go grab a beer. See you in a while...

Ayinger

A short train ride south of Munich, is the tiny town of Aying. Green fields, fresh air, quite, and (of course) a brewery. What else would you want?

After a 2 minute walk from the Aying train station,
off in the distance is the Ayinger brewery.

My tour guide pouring unfiltered
Jahrhundert Bier direct from the Fermenter!

One of many murals adorning the brewery.

The Bavarian and Ayinger flags welcome you
as you walk up to the visitors center.

Crisp and refreshing. The Lager Hell, Helles beer.

Tasting room and private banquet hall at Ayinger.
Yes, it is above the brewhouse!

Hops. Just some gorgeous, Bavarian Noble hops.

Young brewer at Ayinger verifying the
Original Gravity (sugar content) of wort (unfermented beer).

Lots and lots of antique mugs.

At the bigining of the tour, a fountain lets
participants taste the well-water used for brewing.

The Tasting Room bar area with all Ayinger beers
available for tasting.

Erdinger

To the north-east of Munich and surrounded by farmland, the town of Erding holds grounds for the famous Erdinger Weissbräu brewery. This brewery visit was by far the most pleasant of the three simply because of the hospitality. The tour itself was nothing special, however the tasting room and generosity of the facility during the tasting made this a memorable experience! Not only were we allowed to taste all that was at hand, but we were also given fresh-baked pretzels and sausages to accompany our weissbiers. Some of their most recognizable product are on display below as well as some Germany-only specialties.

Welcome to Erdinger!

Erdinger flag, German flag, and Bavarian flag
greet you in the welcome center.

As you approach the welcome center, countless flags
from around the world catch your eyes.

The welcome center. Gifts, gifts, and more gifts.
I raided this place (rightfully so!).

View of the brewhous from the second floor.

Mural at the beginning of the tour.

Germany exclusive, Weißbier Leicht.
Literally a light Hefeweizen at only 3%ABV!

Another view of the shinny stainless-steel brewhouse.

Also exclusive to Germany, Champ is
meant to be drunk directly from the bottle.

Dunkelweizen (Dark wheat)

Pikantus Weizenbock
A robust flavored dark wheat at a generous 8%ABV.

The original Urweisse is the only one of
Erdinger's brews that uses a different yeast strain

The welcome signs as you approach the Tasting Room.

The Erdinger Tasting Room

The original well for Erdinger's brewing water
is still in use today.

Entrence to the brewhouse direct from the Tasting Room.

Weihenstephaner

On my final full day in Germany, I had the honor of visiting a piece of brewing history: The Weihenstephaner Brewery... The oldest active brewery in the world! They have been a brewing beer officially since the year 1040. The brewery itself has burned down three times and each time has been rebuilt to continue the art. To add even more prestige to Weihenstephaner, the brewery is now part of a vast complex of buildings that make up the Life and Food Sciences branch of Technical University, Munich (in fact, as early back as 1803, the grounds have been used for agriculture study and brewing sciences). How would you like to earn your Masters of Science degree in brewing learning the ropes in the oldest brewery in the world?

Point the way, please.

This was the sign outside the administration building,
where the tours start.

The tour begins...

The brewhouse at Weihenstephaner

Mural inside the brewhous. One of many.

Painted on the wall of the brewhouse.

The coned bottoms of 8 giant fermenters.
This was one of 3 rooms like this.

With the tour concluded, it was time to grab a bite...
and a beer, of course.

Golden, crisp, refreshing, hoppy.
A German Pils at its absolute best!

A sweet dunkelweizen with some pork ribs.

Perfect weather for an afternoon at the biergarten.

Just in case you forgot where you were enjoying your beer.

The Biergarten even has some cleverly named
water dishes for mans-best-friend. Loved this minor detail!

Paulaner

Founded by munks in the 1600's, this brewery is named after the their order of Saint Francis of Paola. These monks famosly brewed a strong beer that is now known as the style Doppelbock which served the Friars as "liquid-bread" while they were fasting. Paulaner holds the rights to the term Savator, which means "savior" in German (it goes without saying as to why these monks refereed to their beer as a savior). 

Although I was not able to take a tour at this brewery, there were plenty of venues throughout Munich that was sponsored by Paulaner. Most of the pictured I chose are from what I thought was the best restaurant I found that served Paulaner exclusively. Not only were the beers amazing, the staff was friendly and helpful. Paulaner im Tal is a great establishment.

Taken at the Munich Airport, from a
self-serve draught system. How cool is that!?

The signature medallion adorning the daught tower
at Paulaner im Tal.

The typical draught system display. Beautiful shiny copper.

Salvator. What a great way to end the day.

Their Munich Dunkel was a nice, sweet, and crisp
lagered beer with a nice bready note.

Helles Lager
A smooth, balanced beer to wash your troubles away.

Schneider & Sohn’s

Almost accross the street from Paulaner im Tal, you'll find this gem called Weisses Brauhaus. Here, the showcase beers are from Schneider & Sohn's. With great service, friendly staff, and prime location, I found myself coming back here twice to try more fresh, high quality wiessbire!

The most famous of their brews is a Weizenbock named Aventinus. This beer has been renowned as the best interpretation of the style (in my eyes, it is THE best interpretation). You can imagine my excitement when I realized I could have the best Weizenbock in the world, fresh "vom Fass" (on tap, literal translation is "from the barrel").

Tap 2: Mein Kristal
Filtered Hefeweizen with a creamy-smooth texture.

Tap 4: Mein Günes.
A hoppy Hefe with tangy, refreshing wheat bite.

Tap 5: Schneider & Brooklyner Hopfen-Weisse.
Essentially a Hefeweizen and an
East Coast IPA in one glass!

Tap 6: Unser Aventinus, fresh on draught!
Simply amazing with complex dark fruit
and warming character.

Aventinus Eisbock, a 12%ABV god-in-a-glass.
Ripe plums and banana aroma, tastes like heaven!

Above the entrance, the Schneider logo. 

This beer is so amazing that it has its own window!

Aecht

I kept hearing about some amazing smoked beers to the north of Munich so I traveled north to Bamberg to see what all the fuss was about. I was not disappointed. There were two breweries that stood out. Aecht and Spezial.

First, I stopped by the restaurant run by Aecht. It was a busy place! Unfortunately, I was unable to get a table and have some food here. However, I was able to have a beer! There is a beer pick-up window for you to enjoy a beer outside while you wait for a table, of simply if you wish to have a pint and stand outside. Now, I have had Aecht Rauchbier's before so I didn't think anything of it. Boy was I wrong....

Relaxing outside, enjoying my Rauchbier
with many other explorers.

Aecht Rauchbier Märzen
Smoky, yet not overpowering.

Spezial

Here was a nice surprise. After I finished my pint at Aecht and after a short walk, I stumbled upon a brewery I have never heard about. The sign read "Brauerei Spezial" and I was intrigued. I am so happy I found this place. The smoked beers were amazing, the food was great, and the atmosphere threw me back a century or two.

The golden lettering of the best surprise of my entire trip.

Yes, I took a few.

This was the simply called Rauchbier Lager
Amazingly crisp, smoky character
was soft and pleasant.

I have no idea what I ordered. All I know is
that is was amazing!!

This unfiltered beer named Ungespundetes
was full of sweet, tangy, and malt flavors.
No smoke, and no problem!

The dining room at Brauerei Spezial

Augustiner

This is the oldest, still independent brewery in the city of Munich. The brewery has many great beers and is quite uncommon in the States. And, as with many imported beers, when they do make it here, they are not as the brewer intended. Not only were these beers delicious, they are found everywhere in Munich in many beer-halls dedicated to serving only Augustiner. Good thing because I found craving some almost every day I was there.

In my opinion, the best example of a German Pils.
Bitter from start to finish, pleasant noble hop character,
yet refreshing and crisp. One of the best beers I had.

Plate of small sausages and sauerkraut alongside
the Augustiner Weissbier.

Holzfällersteak with grilled onion, potatoes,
and an Augustiner Dunkel.

Hofbräuhaus

Alas, it was my 30th birthday. I made my way though the bending streets of central Munich to end up at the most visited and talked about beer-hall in the world: The Hafbräuhaus! I know this is a tourist attraction and that authentic, traditional beer-halls have better beer (see above), but this was a turning point in my life. I was now entering 30 years on this planet and I wanted to experience something special. So, there was no way in hell that I was not going to visit the Hofbräuhaus... On my Birthday!

...I tuned the corner and there it was...

Cask was empty that day. Shame.

A pint of their summer beer.
An unfiltered lager. Tasty stuff!

What's a visit to the original Hofbräuhaus without
getting a giant beer!? Dunkel, bitte!

Some pretzels, a brawurst, sauerkraut, and
Original Helles Lager. Perfect!

One of many posts full of giant glassware.

An experience worth traveling for.

The entrance to one of the best birthdays I've ever had.

So, did you enjoy the pictures? Feel like taking your own beer-&-self-finding trip to Germany? I would highly recommend it! Like I've said before, this was an experience that I will soon not forget. My next expedition to Czech and/or Belgium will surely hold its own, but no matter how incredible my future adventures may be, my first trip will always have a special place in my heart.

Until next time, Prost!





















-Gilbert “Charlie” Perez