Bavaria is known for the Christian Social Union, garbs and beer. Of the latter, the Free State can
truly be proud, because the diverse brewery culture of the Upper Bavarian
villages between scenic mountains and lakes is unparalleled. Therefore, leave
the monotonous "Prussian" world of Bitburger and Krombacher to
discover the beer gardens of the Alpine foothills during our Bavarian road trip
in search of the best beer.
Weißbräu Unertl
The specialization effect leads to better products
thanks to the concentration on one division. That is the concept of Weißbräu
Unertl, as their name suggests, the operators focus on top-fermented wheat
beer. The secret of the unique "Unertl taste" is the open
fermentation and the high proportion of wheat malt. A curiosity: The “Weißbierbockschnaps”,
double distilled wheat beer in a cool bottle with 42% alcohol. I must admit, I
haven´t tasted it yet, but I will catch up soon. The fact that the brewery is a
real family business is easily recognized by the first name of the owners. In
the early 20th century, Alois I. brewed top-fermented beer for the first time,
and his son Alois II. eventually established the business. Currently Alois III.
is the operator and his son Alois IV. and grandson Alois V. continue the
tradition. The enterprise is located near the castle of Haag, which is why the
tower of the ruin adorns the logo. The best way to sip the malty wheat beer is in
the “Bräustüberl” not far from the brewery.
Castle brewery Stein – beer of robber knights
Anyone who was in the 13th century in the area around
Stein an der Traun should have better been no weakling. As a certain Heinz vom
Stein, also called "the savage", was a two-meter robber knight with a
weakness for pretty women. Legend has it that he captured many young women for
his pleasure in his castle. In his honour, a frightening painting of the
medieval outlaw adorns some beers of the castle brewery Stein. In front of the
unique rock-castle, the brewers pursue their profession today. In the production
process, special emphasis is placed on organic quality, sustainability and
regional resources. Anyone who is in the area before the wheat harvest will see
grain fields with a sign that those barley will become "Steiner beer"
once. Clever marketing. Otherwise, the Steiner even have their own
hydroelectric power station to cover their electricity needs and a deep well
with water from the Chiemgau Alps. To save the planet, the operators engage
themselves in numerous environmental protection projects. The "Roaddreamer
Bavarian Roadtrip Environmental Award" officially goes to Steiner. The best-selling
variety and also my personal favourite is the Steiner Export. Furthermore,
light, dark, Zwickel, wheat beer and many more are included in the product
range. Probably the most popular shandy in the region is the “Steiner
Naturradler”, which can convince many opponents of mixed beer drinks.
Hofbräuhaus
Traunstein – wheat beer dummy
Traunstein does not lack both quantitatively and
qualitatively at beer production sites. But the most famous brand is probably
the “Hofbräuhaus Traunstein”. Founded in 1612 by the elector Maximilian I., the
brewery has a successful history. For example, they invented the wheat beer on
tap and got in 1975 eight gold medals and thus the world record. The range
includes all varieties that you may be looking for. The classic light, wheat
beer, Zwickl, Pils, shandy and the funny varieties „Maximilian sei stark“(Maximilian
be strong) and „Oh, du mein Josef“ (Oh, my Josef). If you are already looking
for Christmas presents, you should visit the online shop. The Birracotta bock
beer liqueur will look wonderful under the Christmas tree; as well as beer
chocolate, shirts, lederhosen, in-house beer and the "Lausbua" dummy.
In a prime location right on the beautiful town square of Traunstein the
Bräustüberl is located. There you can enjoy the beer with tasty Bavarian
cuisine and a view of the maypole.
Schönramer - World and European Champion
The small brewery in Schönram produces probably the
most successful beer in our Bavarian road trip. As numerous sorts won the World
Beer Cup and the European Beer Star. No trifle, because in the two most
important awards several thousand breweries attend from all over the world. It`s
not surprising that the American Eric Toft is the master brewer who is an
internationally acclaimed star among master brewers. Especially the Pils, the light
and the "Surtaler Schankbier" have been awarded several times. For
craft beer fans, there are a few varieties, even if Toft does not stick to the
newfangled terms. Schoenramer has his own Bräustüberl with a beer garden and traditional
Bavarian cuisine. Another highlight is the Schönramer condoms
"Schönrammler", which can be ordered in the online shop.
M. C.
Wieninger - no biker gang
Despite the name Wieninger is not a rapper or
motorcycle club, but a brewery, only 5 minutes away from Schönramer. On our
journey to the south we leave the Chiemgau and continue to Berchtesgaden. The
village Teisendorf is located directly at the edge of the Alps and is too big
for a village, but too small for a city. The brewing tradition in Teisendorf dates
to the 17th century but is probably much older. In 1813 Phillip Wieninger
bought one of the traditional breweries and gave it his name. Today, the brand
is one of the largest and most popular in the region. In the product range, of
course, there are all the usual varieties such as light, Pils, dark, wheat beer
and shandy. The so-called “Braumeister Biere” (beers of the master brewers) are
sold in a traditional bottle and are a special edition with craft beer design.
The production takes place in the own beer work shop, where beer is produced in
small quantities using traditional methods, recipes and old cereals. The
business has several inns. Of course, you should drink the beer in the
“Braugasthof Alte Post”. If you still want to convince yourself of the Bavarian
ambience, you can make a virtual tour through the inns on the website.
Here you can get to the virtual tour
Did you like this post? Then read here the Bavarian road trip part 1 and leave a like or comment!
Did you like this post? Then read here the Bavarian road trip part 1 and leave a like or comment!
