Braumanufaktur Forsthaus Templin

The Braumanufaktur Forsthaus Templin sits on what was once a huge summer resort complex. It's history is more complicated than that, dating back to 1756, but in the 1930's until WWII it was in its heyday with multiple buildings and restaurants that served thousands of people each night. There were 4,000 seats in all if you include the biergarten. Excursion boats from Potsdam and Berlin would bring day trippers to the restaurant, for which there were three steamer berths as well as nine jetties for private boat owners. A beach restaurant catered to the swimmers directly on the waterfront. What remains is not so glamourous.

Following the war it reopened, closed, and finally reopened again in 2002. The main room of the restaurant has 100 seats, and there are two smaller rooms on the upper floor with 25 or 70 seats. The small brewery is right inside the back corner of the main room. The beer garden holds several hundred, and in addition to the shade from trees and large umbrellas there's also several large tents that allow people to be outside even if the weather's not great. The biergarten overlooks a large and very impressive playground for children, and a small "petting zoo" with horses, goats, chickens, and ducks. There are also several small kiosks for serving beer around this little field, and a fairly large stage set up for events

The brewery is certified organic, and produces several old-style regional beers such as Potsdamer Stange, Werdersche Bier, and Potsdamer Weisse. The Potsdamer Stange, Helles (aka Pils), and Dunkel are available year-round but they also produce a Berliner Weisse, Werdersche Bier, and alkohol-frei Helles among others. Additionally, Märzen, Maibock, Weizen, Erntebock (harvest bock), Christmas bock, and winterbock are available seasonally. There are 6 beers on tap, and whatever bottles are in season. In addition, they offer their own beer brandy, beer liqueur, and grain bread. 3 liter bottles are available to go, as well as T-shirts.

The food is traditional German fare but I didn't try it so I can't speak of it. I'm sure it's good though as the place is very popular.

They're currently open Thursday through Sunday from 11 am to 9 pm. The kitchen is available from noon until 8:15 pm. They close for the winter during the month of January.

In Berlin for Green Week and we decided to have Sunday lunch somewhere out of the ordinary: a trip out to the Templin Forest on the far side of Potsdam was chosen, we knew this brewpub was here somewhere. ‘S’ Bahn out to Potsdam and then bus 607 takes you along the Templin lakeside right to the place. Across the road is a campsite and beach along with a ferry jetty and boat hire places: too cold and quiet on our visit for anybody to be about, so we had a nose around before retiring into the pub.

Lovely gardens, but empty and cold in mid-January: so we join everyone else inside. Large oblong shaped room, bar just to your left as you walk in. The walls have the heads, horns and antlers of various animals caught in the area otherwise you could have been almost anywhere. Basic wooden everything, tables, chairs, floor, bar, coat stand, etc, etc.

Service was good, English menu if required, other customers well dressed and well to do, it's a classy place for a Sunday lunch.

The food was wonderful and filling, tradition German fare and priced keenly. Four draught beers available on our visit, all four in the party were impressed with both the beers and food, long way out of Berlin city; but worth the journey, if only to sober up on the way back!