Trip to East Germany

In short - not much. You initial thought of hitting Dresden and Leipzig are spot on, mostly though for the historic elements. Maybe there are some "crafty" places in the meantime, but beer-wise it's lackluster. Hurry to Prague for some unfiltered (and possibly unpasteurized?) Pilsner Urquell!

 

Four years ago my brother and another friend did a bicycle tour from Jena to Rostock (We actually started in Bamberg, rode to Lichtenfels and then caught train over the hills )

Other than Leipzig (Ohne Bedenken!) there wasn't really much interesting beer along the way -- though to be somewhat fair to Berlin we did some touristy things there as my brother hadn't been (and there was some sort of sporting event in Brazil that people were interested in)

Had some decent beers at Papiermühle (along with a Wöllnitzer) in Jena and some interesting Störtebeker beers at their Rostock pub (zum Alten Fritz). The rest was industrial beer and typical under attenuated "three colors" (yellow, brown, white) borderline swill at brewpubs along the way. Although on particularly hot and humid day the Lübzer Grapefruit went down well (Basically a Radler with grapefruit soda)

As for Prague, do try some Urquell but there is much more interesting stuff to be found. Headed that way again in a month and will update www.BeerGuidePRG.com with any new findings.

(BTW, the route was Jena, Naumburg, Leipzig, Bad Schmeideberg, Jötebog, Berlin, Oranienburg, Fürstenberg, Waren, Krakow am See, Rostock)

 

Feldschlößchen? With all due respect...nein. Dresden is a great place to visit, but not because of Radeberger or Feldschlößchen.

 

Berlin has fantastic museums, and the beer scene is improving.

 

So it looks like you're doing exactly what I did in 2013: Berlin, Dresden, Prague.

I won't go in to Berlin as there's so much to do and there's plenty of info out there.

In Dresden I'd recommend a trip out to Brauhaus am Waldschlösschen. Their beers may not be the greatest but if the weather is good there's a biergarten in front that overlooks the city, and even if you don't get to sit there you'll see it on the way up. I'd suggest taking the bus up as it's a bit of a hike, but walk down to Dresdner Molkerei Gebrüder Pfund, and old ice-cream shop that's still intact inside from 1880. It's a big tourist attraction so there's another bus stop right there. If you have a car and the weather's good you might want to go further out to the Schillergarten for more beautiful views, and then the Lignerterrassen at the Villastockhausen if you're into castles.

There are also three Watzke locations which have decent food and their beers are pretty good as well. Two are all lined up going back into the altstadt when coming back from Brauhaus am Waldschlösschen so I'd get off of the bus at Albertplatz / Bautznerstrasse and walk down Königstrasse to the Rahnitzgasse which is lined with shops where you'll find Watzke am Goldenen Reiter (Golden Rider which is a statue there nearer to the river). From there it's just a few feet to Dresden's most beautiful biergarten, Augustusgarten am Narrenhäusl. Enjoy the scenery with a brew and then cross the Elba and wander around near the Frauenkirche and Striezelmarket eventually landing in the center of the altstadt at Dr. Külz Ring not far from the train station.

The one I haven't included is the Ballhaus Watzke which is more fancy, and where they do musical events and so forth. If you want to check it out it's not a far walk to the west from Watzke am Goldenen Reiter but I'd check on their hours.

Another interesting place to check out is in the neustadt at Goerlitzer Str. 23, the Kunstofpassage or art courtyard passage. The walls of the buildings act as canvases for some interesting art and there are small places where you can grab a bite and a beer and relax.

You could do pretty much all of this in a full day if you wanted to rush it, or pair it down depending on how many hours you might have if you want to get to Prague quickly. For me, if the weather was good and the biergartens open I'd stay a night and see it all. If you go in fall or winter, however, I'd make it a day trip.

In Prague I have only four beers stops to recommend although there's much more now:
- U Fleku is a historic brewery that you must visit. Just one beer but it's excellent, and there's limited but good food as well, and lots of entertainment in the atmosphere and people.
- U Medvidku is another classic that once made the strongest beer in the world, their X33 (12.6%). It's also a hotel but I wouldn't recommend it.
- Klasterni Strahav Pivovar is the monastery brewery atop the hill across the river from the old town above the St. Nicholas church. It's a long walk up the hill so buy a ticket at the tabac shop and take the trolley up and walk down, which is really what makes it worth the trip. If perhaps you wanted to go even further, in the same direction is the Brevnov Klasterni Pivovar but that's a real hike.
- U Tri Ruzi is a new brewpub in the center of the old town right near the clock tower. It's a little more expensive but the food is good, and different from what you'll find in most places. Nice beers as well.

If you haven't decided where to stay yet, staying on a boat can be a nice change, and may or may not cost less depending on the season; and now there's a brewery on a boat as well, the Lod Pivovar which is probably worth a visit.

Good luck! Have fun! Prost!!!

 

In my experience, and I've tasted quite a few samples to get to this conclusion, for whatever reason Germans just can't get American beers right. I'm not sure why that is. There is at least one exception, and some other honorable mentions, but for the most part they can't seem to get the balance quite right. An that actually goes for other world styles as well.

On that note, I have also not found a German craft brewery that doesn't focus on American styles that tries to "do their own thing" other than doing their own slightly different variation on already set styles.

That said, the Germans are very focused on their beers, and honing their recipes. I don't think that most Americans can appreciate those subtleties as we seem to focus more on bigger and bolder beers. We haven't learned to refine our palates as well. At a brewery not too far to the east of Bamberg I ran into two younger brewers who were interested in what I was brewing (they didn't work there, they had their own brewery, they were just visiting). I told them "everything" because we pretty much brew whatever we want except for sour barrel beers, etc. (nothing that can infect the whole brewery). They seemed confused by that, but then offered that they now had two beers! So, wow, two beers that they've been refining since they opened. But that's the German way.

So, again, good luck and prost, and if you do go to Dresden I totally agree that you won't "be disappointed drinking almost any beer from the area sitting on the banks of the Elbe."

 

I did an overnight in Dresden and really enjoyed it. I wasn't too focused on beer, but I grabbed a store-bought Meissner Schwerter Bennator Bockbier and enjoyed it . I went to Watzke's am Goldenen Reiter (I think) and had an OK smoked beer, but the walk back into Dresden's Altstadt at night can't be beat. Beautiful city. The art museum is nice. I didn't do the Grünes Gewölbe but that's a thing.

The Invisible Factory is just outside of town, too, if you're into that sort of thing:

No need to thank me, just send Meissen figurines.

 

I’m not a car guy either, but it looks like a fun thing to do. Full disclosure, I have never been to that factory. I went to the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart once and it was pretty neat, although maybe more along the lines of th BMW Museum as you described it, with fewer beeps and creeps maybe.

As I alluded to, the Meissen factory is near Dresden, I’ve always wanted to check that place out, too.

EDIT: factory, not museum..

 

Just some updates/comments on Prague...

Beware if the waiter says "Welcome to Prague" and offers you a shot -- it is not free -- quite expensive, actually.

I used to be a fan of U Medvídků but the last couple of times they pulled that here's a shot crap and the waiters have been rude. If you want some good Budvar, Budvarka in Dejvice is an option. Trams 8, 18, 20 and 26 pretty much go right there. Not quite the "beer hall" experience the food and beer has always been good for me.

Trams 22 and 25 go to a fairly short walk to Břevnovský Klášterní -- I found there beers more interesting than Strahav (but Strahov is easier to get to).

No longer so new, has been there at least 3 years

Across the river in Malá Strana is Pivovar Vojanův dvůr -- a new brewpub opened by the same folks at U Tří růží. I haven't been but the beers on the website seem similar. Sometimes the crowds of tourists on the Staré Město end of the Charles Bridge are too much for me and I have to go somewhere else. Lots of people in Malá Strana but its not quite as bad.

 

As far as beer experiences go, participating in the Zoigl tradition of the Oberpfalz region would be a real treat. Research it & look for the "brewing star".
Enjoy your trip!

 

The BMW museum circa 1998 was terrible. They replaced it, but I have not been back.

The Diamler Benz museum of the same era was a joy to go through. That has been replaced too.

 

Firstly, @Snowcrash000 is absolutely correct, and I apologize, I should not have generalized; and my sample size is fairly small which may be part of the problem. I was also thinking of some Austrian breweries at the time as well. I haven't been to Berlin since 2013 and the craft scene hadn't really started then, and I haven't been to the south since fall 2017.

My least favorite, and best example of not being able to make a proper American IPA is one that you like, CREW Republic. Perhaps I've had off-batches, of maybe they've gotten better. Some others include Kronprinz Bamberg, Weyermann (love their malts, not their beers), Brauerei Nikl, and even Geisinger. I did say there were exceptions though; and although I've never had an IPA from Freigeist I've always enjoyed their beers.