"Schönes Wochenende" Bamberg

Discussion in 'Germany' started by Gutes_Bier, Apr 6, 2014.

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  1. Gutes_Bier

    Gutes_Bier Maven (1,363) Jul 31, 2011 Germany

    This is just a place holder! I will post the real report later on in this thread. My home internet connection isn't working (and may not be for a few days from the sounds of it), so I have to do this part quickly while I have a temporary connection. I'll have some good photos for you when I post the report.

    A friend of mine and I took advantage of Deutsche Bahn's "Schones Wochenende Ticket" (€44,00 total for up to five adults, good for the entire round trip as long as it's the same day) to travel to Bamberg for the day on Saturday. Weather was a little overcast but otherwise fine. We went to Schlenkerla, Klosterbrau, and Spezial Keller's biergarten before calling it a day. While at Schlenkerla, we were joined by about the friendliest pair of Franconians ever, and they mentioned that they had just biked 11km from the Schmausenkeller in Reundorf. "They only sell one beer!" as the woman told us repeatedly (a kellerbier, from the looks of things). I was wondering if anyone on here had heard of Reundorf, the Schmausenkeller, or perhaps even Brauerei Müller, who appears to be the main brewer in town.

    Cheers, and more later!
     
    #1 Gutes_Bier, Apr 6, 2014
  2. herrburgess

    herrburgess Grand Pooh-Bah (3,077) Nov 4, 2009 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    Jealous. Dang. Looking forward to the report and photos.

    Schmausenkeller is one of my all time favorites (though it has grown like crazy of the past decade). The bike ride out there is awesome (through the Hain park in Bamberg, past Bug to Pettstadt through a shady stretch of woods, and then an easy turn west to Reundorf -- and yes, the beer is awesome...and I never once thought of trying to order another or that I was in any way missing out by being out there)

    I've posted some pics of them before on here, but thought it couldn't hurt to do so again:

    [​IMG]


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    #2 herrburgess, Apr 6, 2014
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  3. FrankenBier

    FrankenBier Zealot (645) Feb 4, 2003 California

    I like to ride down the other side of Regnitz and take the little Pettstadt bike ferry over the river. I get more than my money's worth (€1) entertainment out of it (it's unmotorized). Then come back the way you said, thru Bug and the Hain.

    Of course if Schrauder-Keller in Pettstadt is open I might be delayed a bit as a I stop for Löwenbräu Buttenheim :slight_smile:

    Müller Bräu closed their tap at the brewery in town -- in part I'm sure because the Schmausenkeller is so nice. Their website is here
     
    #3 FrankenBier, Apr 7, 2014
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  4. spartan1979

    spartan1979 Pundit (970) Dec 29, 2005 Missouri

    I'll have to keep this ride in mind for our next trip to Bamberg. How long is this ride?
     
    #4 spartan1979, Apr 7, 2014
  5. Gutes_Bier

    Gutes_Bier Maven (1,363) Jul 31, 2011 Germany

    So, as said, Saturday I went to...

    [​IMG]

    ...Bamberg. As it turns out, I nearly canceled my plans when die Frau decided not to join me, but instead I decided to go ahead with it, as I may not have another chance to get back. Thankfully I found a traveling companion to help kill the 3.5 hours each way on the Bahn. First stop, Schlenkerla! The plan was to have one of these...
    [​IMG]

    ...and then head somewhere else for lunch, but the beer went down so quick and was so good that we decided to stay, have another Fastenbier and get some lunch to go with it.

    [​IMG]

    From there we headed to Klosterbräu, which was the big disappointment of the trip. No Maibock! And plenty of snark from the waitress, who explained, "it's not May yet". While factually accurate, it totally ignores the fact that this beer is usually available this time of year. In fact, the only ones I ever bought were purchased on a Palm Sunday weekend two years ago. I will not miss this attitude. Anyway, my Traveling Companion and I knocked back a..
    [​IMG]

    ...Braunbier each and headed up to...
    [​IMG]

    ...Spezial Keller. The walk up was nice...
    [​IMG]

    ...and the biergarten was even nicer. Here are a few more pics.
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    After this we headed back through town and went home. I tried to get a Keesman Pils from the train depot convenience store but it was not to be. I settled for a Mahr's Pils and Kellerbier instead. I'm supping on the Kellerbier now and enjoying it greatly.

    Prost!
     
    #5 Gutes_Bier, Apr 7, 2014
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  6. Gutes_Bier

    Gutes_Bier Maven (1,363) Jul 31, 2011 Germany

    Miscellaneous photos that didn't fit into my narrative:

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    Wooden Casks (I think the Fastenbier is on the right)

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    Wooden barrel on-deck and ready to be loaded up to the window

    [​IMG]
    On-board photography
     
    #6 Gutes_Bier, Apr 7, 2014
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  7. spartan1979

    spartan1979 Pundit (970) Dec 29, 2005 Missouri

    I've been to Bamberg in both November and October. The next visit has to be when the biergartens are open.
     
    #7 spartan1979, Apr 7, 2014
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  8. Gutes_Bier

    Gutes_Bier Maven (1,363) Jul 31, 2011 Germany

    Even the Dom Cafe has a great view. Highly recommended.
     
    #8 Gutes_Bier, Apr 7, 2014
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  9. herrburgess

    herrburgess Grand Pooh-Bah (3,077) Nov 4, 2009 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    Man, I love that walk...like strolling into heaven!

    If you look at the row of the silver gabled windows on the brick building in the background: that's my old apartment. *Sigh*
     
    #9 herrburgess, Apr 7, 2014
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  10. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    Thanks for developing the narrative, posting the pictures and sharing a really nice experience.
     
    #10 drtth, Apr 7, 2014
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  11. Gutes_Bier

    Gutes_Bier Maven (1,363) Jul 31, 2011 Germany

    Speaking of *Sigh*... that 500ml of Spezial (Smoked) Lager that you see was €2,70. At a restaurant. They were selling branded Steinkrugs for €5,00 each. I bought three.

    And the nice Franconian couple that sat with us at Schlenkerla were talking about how much cheaper it was in the country!
     
    #11 Gutes_Bier, Apr 7, 2014
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  12. herrburgess

    herrburgess Grand Pooh-Bah (3,077) Nov 4, 2009 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    Yea, I've seen prices as low as €1,70 for a Seidla at some places outside of town.
     
    #12 herrburgess, Apr 7, 2014
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  13. Gutes_Bier

    Gutes_Bier Maven (1,363) Jul 31, 2011 Germany

    This was my souvenir from the trip. €5,00 at the Spezial Keller window. I bought three but am planning on giving at least one away, maybe two.

    [​IMG]

    I broke it in yesterday with Mahr's Kellerbier (not pictured) and a St. Georgenbräu Kellerbier (also not pictured). St. Georgenbräu says on the label "tastes best in a Steinkrug" and darned if they aren't on to something...
     
    #13 Gutes_Bier, Apr 8, 2014
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  14. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    “St. Georgenbräu says on the label "tastes best in a Steinkrug" and darned if they aren't on to something...”

    MJT, do you think it really is a flavor/taste issue or more of an overall aesthetics issue: a Steinkrug will not ‘display’ haziness.?

    Cheers!
     
    #14 JackHorzempa, Apr 8, 2014
  15. Gutes_Bier

    Gutes_Bier Maven (1,363) Jul 31, 2011 Germany

    Another option is power of suggestion, which apparently I'm susceptible to...

    I think the aesthetics thing probably plays into it, but there are probably other things, too. One thing would be a beer served at cellar temps would perhaps stay cool a little bit longer in a Steinkrug.

    For whatever it's worth, I do think it tasted a little hoppier than the one I had earlier in the week. Could be that power of suggestion thing, though. Do any local places to you brew a Kellerbier, Jack? If so, how do they serve them (or recommend having them served)?
     
    #15 Gutes_Bier, Apr 8, 2014
  16. Crusader

    Crusader Pooh-Bah (1,725) Feb 4, 2011 Sweden
    Pooh-Bah

    Now that's just irresponsibly affordable pricing right there :grimacing:. It's no wonder that tavern culture can survive with those prices. Making regular visits to a bar that sells half a liter for 6.9 Euro, 9.4 USD, for something which was produced for less than 50 US cents, doesn't really feel as tempting. Each beer you buy feels like highway robbery.
     
    #16 Crusader, Apr 8, 2014
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  17. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Mjt, my most recent Kellerbier was Allentown Brewworks Kellerbier at the Yards cask beer event. The firkin was sitting outside (under a tent) with no cooling (no ice packs). That beer was served cold; the firkin must have been in the cold room prior to the event.

    Below is a list of US craft brewed Kellerbiers that I have had in the past (I copied the below from a past thread). As best as I can recall, all of those beers were served cold. They would have been on tap at a beer bar and US beer bars tend to keep all of their beers cold.

    “Within the past year I have had the following unfiltered and unpasteurized lagers:

    · Urban Chestnut Zwickel
    · Sly Fox Standard Pils
    · Sly Fox Keller Pils
    · Brooklyn Gold Standard Export Kellerbier
    · Victory Braumeister Pils of various ‘varieties’: featuring Saaz, Hallertauer Mittelfruh, and others.
    · Voodoo Pilzilla
    · Tired Hands Yellow & Green
    · Triumph Aldstadt Lager
    · Southampton Keller Pils (I still have several bottle of this in the refrigerator)
    · Victory CBC Tettnang Pils
    · Etc.

    Cheers!

    P.S. On second thought I have had the Sly Fox Keller Pils on cask (served on a beer engine at the Brewpub). The cask versions of the Sly Fox Keller Pils was cellar temperature (I would guess 50-55 degrees F). Sly Fox has two cold rooms: one for their regular draft beers and the other for the cask beers. The beer that they typically always have on cask is the Sly Fox Chester County Bitter. Their second beer engine will have some other beer (or sometimes they will only have one beer engine operating).
     
    #17 JackHorzempa, Apr 8, 2014
  18. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    “Making regular visits to a bar that sells half a liter for 6.9 Euro, 9.4 USD, for something which was produced for less than 50 US cents, doesn't really feel as tempting. Each beer you buy feels like highway robbery.”

    Patrik, I have an answer for you (again): homebrewing!

    I have a Grodziskie fermenting right now. The other advantage of homebrewing is that you can make beer that you can’t buy.

    Cheers!
     
    #18 JackHorzempa, Apr 8, 2014
  19. Crusader

    Crusader Pooh-Bah (1,725) Feb 4, 2011 Sweden
    Pooh-Bah

    The problem with that is that I can't bring homebrew into a bar :wink:. The only time I find myself in a bar is when I'm out with friends, and have no other option but to fork over the cash for something to drink. That's the extent of the bar culture which is offered here.
     
    #19 Crusader, Apr 8, 2014
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  20. Gutes_Bier

    Gutes_Bier Maven (1,363) Jul 31, 2011 Germany

    Haha, thanks for that write-up Jack, I'm afraid I wasn't clear. When you were served all of those wonderful sounding beers, what kind of vessel were they poured into? Ceramic mug? Pint glass?
     
    #20 Gutes_Bier, Apr 8, 2014
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