Heading to Germany

What happened to the tour? It's very easy to organize your own beer and bike tour. Happy to provide some itineraries if you like.

As for the Fünf Seidla Steig, I've seen some literature and videos on it. I, personally, would do something different -- like a Wanderung around Aufsess or a visit to Forchheim and then via the Keller Express to the Kreuzbergkeller (assuming you haven't done that yet...but maybe even if you have!).

As for festivals, that's the Bockbier season. Looks like there is a Bockbieranstich on the 26th in Lohndorf, and on the 27th in Bischberg (love Brauerei zur Sonne).

Hope this helps.

 

Looks like I'll miss you by a week

This year's schedule for our annual trip:

Oct 10-14 Antwerp (with day trips to Brussels and Gent)
Oct 14-17 Cologne/Düsseldorf (Uerige sticke on Oct 15, our 16th straight year!)
Oct 17-21 Bamberg
Oct 21-23 Salzburg
Oct 23-26 Munich

Some beer will be drunk.

If this intersects with anybody else's schedule, we'd love to meet up with you for a beer or three.

 

Closest I could find:http://www.sonnenbier.de/index.php?mode=presse.php

It's a super easy bike ride...right along the Regnitz river.

 

A Bockbieranstich is the tapping of a brewery's Bockbier -- Starting in early October there is pretty much one every week in Bamberg, and others in the surrounding villages.

I've been to Sonne's a couple of times -- had a great time. Bockbieranstiche often don't start until late afternoon/early evening so you could be riding back in the dark after having (hopefully) many strong beers. Bus 906 goes to Bischberg but the last one back leaves about 8:20pm

 

When ?

 

Lock the car doors and HOLD ON! ;-)

 

I like attending Bockbieranstiche. Good times.
Here is a link to last year's schedule of Bockbieranstiche. Usually the dates don't vary much more than a day or two from year to year.

http://www.infranken.de/sonstiges/bockbier/

 

If this holds up, OP has a chance to go to the Klosterbrau one in Bamberg -- my favorite Bockbier and Anstich. Takes place in Klosterbrau's Zehnthaus, which is an awesome hall that faces out to Judenstrasse.

Outside:



Inside:

 

One of the Bamberg Bockbieranstich that I have not made it to.
But this year it might be on Friday October 25, 2013.

 

A WEDNESDAY is all you can spare

 

Miltenberg is a beautiful old medieval town worthy of a day. Where are you staying when you are there? Even if you don't stay here, zum Riesen is a must place to drink Faust beers. In fact, zum Riesen is owned by Faust, I think.

 

Well, depends on the brewery...and on the time of day/night you attend. Generally, though, the students now go to these en masse (when I started going to them, this wasn't necessarily the case). They can be very crowded, and it's often a task to get served with all the people clamoring for beer. Not a laid-back scene by any stretch, but definitely something to experience.

Regardless, Faessla is known as the most "working class" of Bamberg's breweries -- though often it can seem like the most "out-of-work class." Lots of, ummm, characters come out for fests at Faessla. Have some vivid memories of their 350th anniversary fest. Whew! Beer, I believe, is their Bambergator, which is actually available year-round. 8.5%...so be careful.

Klosterbrau tends to be a much more tame affair, with more neighborhood locals and an older set in general -- though, as stated, the students take over at some point. Best Bockbier in Bamberg IMO, so it's worth it just to get to try it tapped fresh.

Mahr's is probably the biggest, rocking-est one, with bands and a weird mix of students, locals, and bikers/rockers. Another nice beer and a fun time.

The ones out in the country are the most local and least hyped.

Hope this helps. Here's a picture of the Faessla Bockbieranstich to give you a visual for what I'm talking about. You'll likely see a lot of this type of thing:



Mahr's: