German beer books

I remember seeing this list a few years ago on that exact website, though I don't remember when I saw it, and it's sad that even more are on it since I first saw it, and many have closed just since 2011.

 

This article http://www.nordbayern.de/nuernberge...schadlingsbefall-mussten-schliessen-1.2245286 explains why 4 had to recently close: namely because of unsanitary conditions. The one that it hurt most to see in that list for me is Barnikel. I hope they are able to open again. (Though I have to agree about their sanitation. First time I walked into the "brewery" -- which seemed more like a barn/literal pig sty -- I was shocked. But the Rauchbier was good, so....)

If you read the article, you'll see that familiar bugaboo, unnaturally low prices. This is a real problem in Germany, and I, for one, blame Oettinger for the trend. Only after they hit the market did people begin to believe that it was reasonable to expect being able to purchase a crate of 20 half-liter bottles for under 10 Euro.

Couldn't someone sue them for "price dumping" or something? Germans were constantly going after Walmart when it opened there for such practices. Oettinger really is the bane of German brewing in so many ways.

 

Well, confusing Öttinger with actual beer means you're already pretty far down that proverbial highway to makro Hell.

 

You can still get the "Fränkische Brauereikarte" second hand.
http://www.zvab.com/advancedSearch.do?title=Fraenkische+Brauereikarte&author=Mack
It is a wonderful source for lovers of Franconian beer.
When the 1st edition was published in 1989, it listed 380 breweries in Franconia. 170 closed within the last 25 years, and about 50 were established new.

 

Barnikel in Herrnsdorf, est. 1366 (or 1314?), closed 2012. Bought my last bottles there three year ago.

 

From the link, it looks like the last update of this book was in 1996. Too bad it seems not to have been updated since then, or has it?

 

Love those labels (and the sometimes sticky bottles they are hand-pasted on!).

I can foresee them reopening, when they manage to meet the sanitary standards again. This seems to be an ongoing thing with them for decades, and it sounds like the latest is just a big warning shot by the local authorities that they mean business this time. Would hate to lose them. Their Rauchbier is in my Top 5 all-time.

 

Nice people and lovely pub. It would be very sad if they closed for good.