Scott welcomes back German beer expert Franz Hofer for a tour of the best beer festivals in Germany outside of Oktoberfest in Munich. Franz reveals the fascinating origins of the fests before detailing what to expect at each one, and pouring out some advice on what to drink when you’re there.
All the festivals, beers and ‘travelly’ topics that came up on the show:
Tempest in a Tankard – Your resource for beer-centric travel in Europe
Beerscapes – Franz’s quarterly newsletter, which takes a dive into the fascinating world of beer culture, along with travel tips about where to find the best beer experiences
Beerscapes Beer Travel – Franz helps travelers put together beer travel itineraries for folks who’d like to travel independently, but who’d also like a roadmap (or train map or hiking trail) to follow.
Scott and Franz’s previous podcast about great beer gardens of Bavaria.
Walberlafest – Beer festival atop a dramatic mountain in the Franconia region
Walpurgis Night – Springtime holiday in Germanic Europe with deep pagan roots
Forchheim – atmospheric town in Franconia reknowned for its brewing
Ebermannstadt – great place to stay within walking distance of the Walberlafest
Beers and breweries to look for at Walberlafest and the surrounding region – Brauerei Greif, Brauerei Neder, Brauerei Ott (try the Export beer), Nikl-Bräu, Penning Zeissler (if they’re still brewing, try the Volbier, it’s amber-orange with a distinct nuttiness and a touch of dried cherry)
Cannstatter Volksfest – The biggest annual party in Stuttgart
Ulm – A great place to stay for the Cannstatter Volksfest and a great city in its own right
Wasenwirt (Stuttgarter Hofbräu) – the energetic tent where my wife and I watched the kids going crazy
Stuttgart – totally underrated big German city near the Black Forest with vineyards in the city limits
Stuttgarter Hofbräu – leading brewery in Stuttgart, their helles is Franz’s favorite to sip at the fest’
Salvatorkeller (Paulaner Keller) – historic beer Keller & beer garden that hosts the Salvatorfest (Season of Strong Beer) Festival
Salvatorfest (Season of Strong Beer Festival) – Read Franz’s review here
Löwenbräu Triumphator & Augustiner Maximator – two other doppelbocks to try if you’re in Munich during the season. Try them at their home brew houses: Löwenbräu Keller & Augustiner Keller
Paulaner Bräuhaus – try one of the special beers that are only available here
Bamberg – UNESCO World Heritage City and a brewing mecca
Sandkerwa Festival – Arguably the best way to experience Bamberg’s rich beer culture
Schlenkerla & Spezial – Bamberg breweries famed for their rauchbier (smoked beer)
The Thirsty Traveler – great 00s travel show, watch it if you can find it!
Oide Wiesn – Vintage section of Oktoberfest, feels like a totally different festival
Follow Franz on social media here: Instagram / Facebook
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