Traditional German Lager Suggestions

I am also a fan of the Schlenkerla Fastenbier.

Is Mönchsambacher Lager available to you in Ontario?

Cheers!

 

Travel to franconia, visit the tiny breweries, find your favorite yourself. There are far too many to count, almost all of them are noteworthy......

 

This is the truth and really the only honest answer. There are at least 50 beers that are of the same -- if not higher -- quality than Moenchsambacher available throughout the region -- and most often served in picturesque beer gardens like the one below. Ireland-based RyanAir recently announced it is going to start offering trans-Atlantic flights for less than the cost of a crate of Schlenkerla purchased here in the U.S., so it's cheaper than ever right now.

 

Mahr's makes some good stuff if you can find it. Unfortunately "lesser known" is not always compatible with "readily available". If I have a Helles Lagerbier fix in the near future I'd probably grab a Spaten or Hobräu Original and hope for the best. St. Georgenbräu makes a nice Kellerbier.

 

If you're going to be in NYC, I'd suggest going to Zum Schneider and drinking the beers from Hofbrau Traunstein -- esp. the Weizen(s) and the Kellerbier. Those are true, lesser-known gems.

 

If you get a chance to drink some Traunstein beer I would recommend trying their Zwickel (Kellerbier). Below is something I posted in a past thread:

Beer No. 2: Traunstein 1612er Zwickel

I do enjoy a good Zwickel and this one was very, very tasty. A nice hazy yellow color with a wonderful balance of malt and hops (with some yeasty notes). This beer is right up there with Urban Chestnut Zwickel.

Cheers!

 

Which Biergarten is this? I'm still working on my itinerary.

 

Rossdorfer Felsenkeller. A real favorite of mine and easy to incorporate into a loop that hits Griesskeller, Wagnerkeller (Merkendorf), Goeller (Drosendorf), and the places in Memmelsdorf.

 

If you like Schlenkerla smoked beers and you like Augustiner, it has to be... Schlenkerla's hell lager. One of my fav beers.
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/263/29145/

 

ones that you may find in america:
Einbecker Mai-Ur Bock
Ayinger Oktoberfest
Weltenburger Kloster Barock Dunkel
Rothaus Tannenzäpfle
Weihenstephaner Pils
Mahr's Ungespundet
Köstritzer Schwarzbier

 

Probably getting a bit out of what the OP is looking for with that, but I'd recommend this also as perhaps a way of branching out a bit. My only caution with that is perhaps don't judge Köstritzer's potential if you get one that tastes a bit off or lackluster. They have pretty serious quality control issues unfortunately. So if at first you don't succeed, try try again!

 

Monchshof's Scwarzbier is very good, my local shop carries it but it's a little more expensive than I'd like. I've been tempted a few times but never pulled the trigger. Sticker shock on German beers is still getting me down.

 

i only get the mönchshof kellerbier and pils in my area

 

Damnit, I was just in NYC this past weekend. I wish I read this beforehand!

As an aside, there is a shocking lack of craft beer in the actual city. Maybe I just didn't go to the right places (admittedly I spent most of my time around Penn station, which is a tourist trap), but even mediocre places here in Boston have around 20+ taps with the majority being craft.

Now Brooklyn....that's a different story.