Guten Tag! Will be in Muenchen from 23 to 27Sep, then to Rothenburg 28-30Sep... If anyone is around, give a shout. Will likely visit Bamberg on 29Sep... Then to Maastricht 1-6Oct..... Prosit!!
I've been staying with a sweet elderly woman in Rothenburg for 20 years now... It's a great place to unwind, especially at the end of the day.... I do visit Bamberg from there, too, for my bier fix!
Some people would say Bamberg is touristy. And I have to admit, between the time I first lived there (1993) and now, the tourist throngs have definitely swelled. Still, I feel right back at home when I visit...I guess in part because I know how to avoid the tourists. Or, if I'm at Schlenkerla, I just actively (and happily) ignore them.
I don't consider München a bier wasteland, not with access to Andechs, Aying, Weihenstephan, and Forschungs. There's even Giesinger, which I hope to try this year...
I recall once about 8-9 years ago being in the Schwemme at Schlenkerla, enjoying my third or fourth glass... There were a few small groups of people who came in for a quickie and then left... A local guy, who had obviously been there a while, says "Look at these fucking tourists! Look at them, coming in here for 1 fucking glass and then saying they've been to Schlenkerla... bah...!!" Gots to agree with him on that point.... that's why I hang a while and try to blend in... Prosit!!
Besides "Forschungs" (which, btw translates to "research" and makes absolutely no sense whatsoever without the attached "Brauerei") none of these are in the city or even the surrounding county of München so they belong to their own communities. With the same right I could call Nittenau or the Schneider in Essing call a Regensburg brewery... If I ever said that in there the locals would cut my throat.l
I totally agree with the guy. I'm sure he'd feel similarly about people who have the audacity to review a beer after one pint. And I'd have to agree with that too.
Save for Forschungsbräu and Giesinger, I realize the others aren't actually in the city. My point was that you could get good, fresh bier from other than the big 6 without much effort. Even Schneider (Kehlheim) can be mentioned. Btw, I hope to get back to Regensburg sometime... I hear it's a nice town...
Weisses Brauhaus is Schneider's spiritual home, if not where the beer is now brewed. I prefer it to the pub at the brewery. For me, that, Augustinerkeller, Nünberger Bratwürstglöckl, the Ayinger place, the Löwenbräu tap and the old Thomasbräu brewpub make Munich a decent beer destination. Sure, the beer is better in Franconia. But just anywhere comes off second best when you compare it to Franconia.
I'm aware of that but you have to realize the parasitical relationship München has with the rest of Bayern. Actually Schneider has been a Munich brewery until they were evacuated in the early 1940s to spare them the Allied bombing raids that reduced much of the original München to rubble and cinders. The current Schneider guy has been trying to get back his tent at the Oktoberfest for many years, without much luck so far. Well, it's bearable as long as you like bland Lager. There isn't much in the way of variety here, none of the brewers seem to have any interest in anything but beer flavoured beer. They really need to start to wake up if they want their breweries to exist for another 600 years. Or 800 in case of Spital.
If they built a brewery in Munich , would they let them have their tent back? I'm sure the Munich brewers would oppose it. I quite like Kneitinger's beer flavoured beer. The Dunkles, at least. I always drink Dunkles if there's the choice. Lovely Lager Dark Mild.
Considering that most breweries represented there have a PO box in Munich, report to a CEO in Brasil and are brewed God knows where I highly doubt they'll ever be let back in. It's all about marketing. As do I. "Dunkel" and "Märzen" are by far my favourite beers. [note to self: Use more emoticons.]
When in Maastricht try to visit Cafe Take One on RechtStraat, near Central Station. Loads of beers and interesting service to say the least....
