ABOVE: Weissbier,
or Weißbier, is typically
served in glasses, not in mugs.
Beer in Munich
"Munich" is to beer as "Hershey, Pennsylvania" is to
chocolate: The city's six major breweries produce an estimated 600 million
liters of beer annually, with about 20 percent being exported and another 30
percent consumed locally during Oktoberfest.
Munich beer tends to be lighter and less "hoppy" than beers from
the Northern part of Germany, possibly because it's drunk in larger quantities:
A standard Maß or measure is one
liter, which is the smallest-size mug of Helles (light) or Dunkles
(dark) beer available at the Hofbräuhaus, the most famous of Munich's beer
halls.
But don't confuse Munich's big-name beers with Bud Lite: Alcohol levels
can range up to seven percent, so treat your Maß with
respect. (If you're driving, avoid beer altogether; the legal blood-alcohol
level is .05 percent for most drivers, but it's zero percent for drivers
who haven't been licensed for at least two years.)
Although
the big industrial breweries dominate Munich's beer landscape, microbreweries
have acquired a following in recent years. One of the best is the
Airbräu restaurant and beer garden at
Munich International
Airport, whose master brewer--Christian Storcher--has won two gold medals
from the German Agricultural Society (DLB).
If
you enjoy learning about beer (as opposed to merely drinking it), spend an hour
or so at the
Beer and
Oktoberfest Museum in Sterneckerstrasse, not far from the Viktualienmarkt.
The museum has a wonderful video on beer-brewing, and it takes up several floors
of the oldest house in Munich. It also has a pub on the premises. (Caution:
Unless you're of medieval height, be careful not to bump your head on the
ancient doorframes.)
For more on
Bavaria's bestselling beverage and where to drink it, read the
Beer Drinker's Guide to Munich
and Ron Pattison's
Munich Pub and Beerhall Guide.
Also see the other
Beer, Breweries, and Beer
Halls links on our Munich Food
and Drink Links page, and read our two-page guide to the
Hofbräuhaus München.
Oktoberfest
Munich's
annual Oktoberfest (which begins in late September) is the world's most
celebrated beer bash. It's like the Texas State Fair of keggers, with beer tents
that hold up to 10,000 drinkers (reservations advised), amusement-park rides,
and even a campground for drinkers in the Olympic Horse Stadium.
For the full story,
including links to festival-related Web sites, see our illustrated
Oktoberfest Munich article.
