Scott chats with Franz Hofer, an expert on German beer culture, about the charm of the beer gardens in Germany’s Bavaria region and why they are so much more than just a place to have a beer. Franz gives a quick history lesson of these heavenly al fresco drinking spots before serving up tips on some of the best beer gardens to see during your next trip.
Links to places that came up on the show:
To follow Franz Hofer:
Tempest in a Tankard – Franz’s beer-focused website that covers beer travel, beer culture, craft beer, and beer history.
Beerscapes Newsletter – Franz’s quarterly beer-centric newsletter
Notes on the beer gardens that came up on the show:
Contemporary beer gardens that retain a “classic” atmosphere:
(Munich)
Augustiner-Keller – An absolute classic, and probably my favourite beer garden in Munich. Just NW of the train station.
Löwenbräukeller – The place to get a sense of what 19th-C “beer castles” looked like. Modest beer garden, large beer hall within.
Salvatorkeller (Paulaner), Nockherberg. The place where Starkbierfest (strong beer festival) takes place.
(Franconia)
Spezial-Keller, Bamberg – Stellar view over the roofs and spires of Bamberg. Serves Spezial Rauchbier (which we didn’t talk about today).
Wilde Rose Keller, Bamberg. Dense shade compared with Spezial-Keller; lots of little nooks and crannies. Serves a range of Bamberg and regional beer.
Kellerwald, Forchheim. Literally “cellar forest.” Several of the twenty-plus Bierkellers are open at any given time, but if you want the full effect, head over during Annafest, held annually in late July.
(Upper Bavaria)
Gaststätte St. Bartholomä beer garden, Königssee (near Berchtesgaden) – It’s a tall order to do this as a day trip from Munich outside of June/July, but it’s doable. One of the more stunning beer garden settings.
(Other beer gardens around Munich)
Kloster Andechs – monastery turned brewery on outskirts of Munich with views of the Alps (nice walk from station to beer garden & beer hall!)
Ayinger – well respected brewery with beer garden & beer hall in Ayinger near Munich
Weihenstephaner – historic brewery with beer garden & beer hall in nearbyFreising
Futher Reading
(Beer gardens today)
Blog article on beer garden customs: “Beer Gardens in Bavaria, or, How to ‘Beer Garden’ Like a Local” https://tempestinatankard.com/2022/07/31/beer-gardens-in-bavaria-or-how-to-beer-garden-like-a-local/
Blog article on beer garden food: “The Art of the Beer Garden Food Feast” https://tempestinatankard.com/2020/06/26/the-art-of-the-beer-garden-food-feast/
Vinepair article on beer garden highlights: “Six Bavarian Beer Gardens Worth Visiting This Summer” https://vinepair.com/articles/beer-gardens-bavaria/
(Beer gardens history)
Zymurgy article: “Rites of Spring, Summer & Autumn: Lager and the Birth of the Bavarian Beer Garden” https://franzdhofer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/BeerGarden-Sommersudverbot-Zymurgy-Sept-Oct-2023.pdf
Blog post (on yeast … tangentially related to beer gardens): “The Munich Baker-Brewer Dispute: Yeast and the Emergence of Lager” https://tempestinatankard.com/2024/04/23/the-munich-baker-brewer-dispute-yeast-and-the-emergence-of-lager/
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