The six Munich breweries at Oktoberfest

(From the official Munich Oktoberfest Website) 

Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu,

Löwenbräu, Paulaner, and Spaten

Only beer from Munich breweries may be served on the Wiesn, as custom dictates. Already weeks before the starting signal for Oktoberfest, the breweries present their newly brewed Wiesn beer and increase the anticipation of the highlight of the year. We introduce the six breweries of the state capital allowed to fill the beer mugs of the Wiesn.

Augustiner: Munich’s oldest brewery

The monks of the Augustinian Order founded a brewery in 1328 that still exists today, and is the oldest brewery still existing within the Munich city limits. After privatization, Augustiner settled in Neuhauser Straße in 1817, where the Augustiner restaurant, popular with locals and tourists, is still located today. At the end of the 19th century, the headquarters and brewing facilities were moved to Landsberger Straße, where brewing continues to this day. The Augustiner Hell enjoys cult status in the bulbous half-liter bottle, with the also quite bulbous monk on the label. Oktoberfest has the 6% Augustiner Wiesn beer in the Augustiner festival tent, in the Fischer Vroni, and in the Tradition festival tent on the Oide Wiesn. There are also three small tents for Augustiner: the chicken and duck grill Ammer, the Wildstuben, and the Zur Bratwurst tent. The brewery is the only one still using the traditional 200-liter wooden barrels, the so-called Hirschen, for storage.

Hacker-Pschorr: Reunited since 1972

The brewery was first mentioned in a document in 1417 and was located in Sendlinger Straße, where today the restaurant “Altes Hackerhaus” is located. In the 18th century, under the couple Joseph Pschorr and Maria Theresia Hacker, it developed into Munich's leading brewery. Hacker and Pschorr were later continued by their sons as separate breweries, and have only been a common brand again since 1972. Today the brewery is located in the same premises as the Paulaner Brewery. Since 2007, the Hacker-Pschorr beer is sold again in the traditional bottles with swing stopper and “Plopp.” The “weakest” beer at Oktoberfest, at 5.8%, is available in the Hacker festival tent, the Pschorr festival tent Bräurosl, and in the Herzkasperl festival tent on the Oide Wiesn. The Fisch Bäda, the Heimer duck and chicken grill, and Poschner’s also offer Hacker-Pschorr.

Hofbräu: The beer from the world-famous Hofbräuhaus

There is a Hofbräuhaus in Munich... In 1589, Hofbräu was founded under Wilhelm V as a ducal brewery, and the company has been run as a state-owned enterprise since 1939. The brewery was originally located in the middle of the city, where today the Hofbräuhaus am Platzl is one of Munich’s main tourist attractions. In the 19th century, due to lack of space, the company moved to Innere Wiener Straße, where the Hofbräukeller with one of Munich’s most beautiful beer gardens is still located today. Since the late 1980s, brewing has been carried out in Munich-Riem. At 6.3%, Hofbräu is the strongest of the Wiesn beers and is served in the Hofbräu tent and in the Oide-Wiesn tent “Zur Schönheitskönigin” (To the Queen of Beauty).

Löwenbräu: Beer from Nymphenburger Straße

The brewery probably began in the late 14th century, but the name Löwenbräu first appeared in the Munich beer brewing index in 1746. In the 19th century, the medium-sized company under the Brey family developed into the largest brewery in Munich and, due to its strong growth, moved to Nymphenburger Straße, where it is still located today. The Löwenbräukeller and its beer garden are famous for spectacular events such as Stout Beer Festivals or the Night of the Tracht. Since 2003, the Spaten-Franziskaner-Löwenbräu Group has belonged to the international brewing group InBev. The brand logo is of course a lion, which looks quite similar to the Bavarian heraldic animal. Every Oktoberfest visitor will also recognize the giant lion in front of the Löwenbräu festival tent, roaring “Löööö-weeeen-brääääu” and drinking beer, calling the thirsty onlookers towards him. The Löwenbräu-Wiesntrunk, at 6.1% alcohol, is also available in the Schützen tent and in the small Haxnbraterei.

Paulaner: The youngest Munich brewery

& a member of our B.R.E.W. Fellowship!

The monks of the Paulaner Order served their first beer of their own in 1634, making Paulaner the youngest of the Munich breweries. At first, Paulaner beer was only served publicly during festivals; otherwise it was reserved for the monks. But soon the bock beer, based on a recipe by Brother Barnabas, enjoyed great popularity among all Munich beer drinkers. For a long time, the brewery’s head office was the Giesinger Nockherberg, in whose restaurant the annual Starkbierfest with the famous Politician Roast (teasing) takes place. Today, the breweries are located in Munich-Langwied. The Oktoberfest beer from Paulaner has 6% alcohol and is served in the Paulaner Festzelt, the Armbrustschützenzelt, the Käfer tent, the Kuffler’s Weinzelt (as wheat beer until 9 p.m.), the Heinz sausage and chicken grill, the butcher Stubn, the Munich Knödelei, and the Zum Stiftl festival tent.

Spaten: Inventor of the “Münchner Hell”

The Spaten brewery was founded in 1397 and was located in Neuhauser Gasse for its first few centuries. The brewery moved to Marsstraße in the 19th century, where at least the administration is still located today. Spaten deserves the honor of being the first brewery to bring the “Münchner Hell” (Munich Pale) to market in 1894 — a true bestseller to this day. Since 2003, the Spaten-Franziskaner-Löwenbräu Group has belonged to Interbrew, today InBev. Spaten and Franziskaner beer is available at Oktoberfest in the Schottenhamel tent, where the mayor of Munich also celebrates the first tap every year. There’s also Spaten beer in the Marstall, in the Ochsenbraterei, at the Glöckle Wirt, at the Goldenen Hahn, in the Kalbsbraterei, and in the Wirtshaus im Schichtl; you can drink Franziskaner wheat beer in theFeisinger’s Kas- und Weinstubn. The Wiesn has 5.9% alcohol direct and compelling headline

Best Fall Beers of 2022

Reprint of article in Webstaurantblog

by Sabrina Bomberger

The autumn season is upon us, and beer lovers everywhere are awaiting the return of their favorite fall seasonal beers. Pumpkin, maple, ginger, and other fall flavors find their way onto beer lists everywhere this time of year. Not a fan of pumpkin beers? That's okay because pumpkins aren't the only star of the fall harvest. The end of summer marks the beginning of hop picking season when freshly harvested hops are immediately brewed into fragrant, full-flavored beers. From Oktoberfest beers to seasonal stouts, we've made a list of the 8 best fall beers to try in 2022.

1. Oktoberfest Beer

Oktoberfestbiers have experienced an evolution since the first Oktoberfest was held in 1810. At one time, all Oktoberfest beers were a type of amber lager called a marzen (pronounced mare-tsen). These beers were brewed in March and stored away until September or October, just in time for Oktoberfest. The marzen-style beer served back then had a higher alcohol content, which kept it from spoiling over the summer months. Over time, the six breweries that hold the honor of serving at the Oktoberfest event changed their beer from a traditional marzen to a lighter lager.

American-style Oktoberfest beers today are mostly marzen lagers, but the traditional Oktoberfestbier produced in Munich is a pale, crisp lager. Both styles are delicious in their own right, but if you're looking for the traditional Bavarian beer of Oktoberfest, choose an Oktoberfestbier from one of these six breweries - Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr-Brau, Augustiner-Brau, Spatenbrau, Lowenbrau, or Hofbrau-Munchen.

Give These Popular Oktoberfest Marzens a Try:

• Ayinger Brewing: Oktober Fest-Marzen 
• (Ayinger, Germany) 5.8% ABV
• 
  
• Paulaner Brauerei: Oktoberfest Marzen 
• (Munich, Germany) 5.8% ABV
• 
  
• Hacker-Pschorr Brau GmbH: Oktoberfest Marzen
•  (Munchen, Germany) 5.8% ABV
• 
  
• Spaten-Franziskaner-Brau: Spaten Oktoberfestbier
•  (Munchen, Germany) 5.9% ABV
• 
  
•  2. Pumpkin Beer

The minute September 1st rolls around, pumpkin domination begins and doesn’t truly end until winter is over. Pumpkin beer is a popular part of this trend, and although not every beer lover is on board, you should offer at least one pumpkin spice beer style for those who can’t get enough.

Just like pumpkin spice, pumpkin beers don't necessarily contain any pumpkin. The pumpkin flavor that many start to crave around this time of year is less from the pumpkin itself, and more from spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Pumpkin beers and yam beers feature a blend of the fall spices that fans of the season associate with pumpkin spice.

Give These Pumpkin Beers a Try:

• Dogfish Head: Punkin Ale
•  (Milton, DE) 7.0% ABV
• 
  
• Southern Tier Brewing Company: Pumking
•  (Lakewood, NY) 8.6% ABV
• 
  
• New Belgium: Voodoo Ranger Atomic Pumpkin
•  (Fort Collins, CO) 6.4% ABV
• 
  

Funky Buddha Brewery: Sweet Potato Casserole Strong Ale

 (Oakland Park, FL) 7.9% ABV

4. AMBERS

Amber ale is a type of beer with a reddish color that ranges from light copper to dark amber. This style originated in the Pacific Northwest and California during the 1980s, but it's become popular in Europe and Australia as well. Also called red ale, amber ales are a type of pale ale brewed with specialty malts.

American red ale contains American hops, but it's set apart from other pale ales by the sweet flavor of the malts used in the brewing process. Crystal malts, named for the crystalized sugars they contain, are responsible for the amber color and caramel notes this beer style is known for.

Give These Red Ales a Try:

• Allagash Brewing Company:
• World on a String 
• (Portland, ME) 9.5% ABV"
• 
  
• Troegs Brewing Company: Hopback Amber Ale
•  (Hershey, PA) 6% ABV
• 
  
• 3 Floyds Brewing Company: Amber Smashed Face 
• (Munster, IN) 7.8% ABV
• 
  
• Cigar City Brewing: Tocabaga Red Ale (Tampa, FL)
• 7.4% ABV

4. Porters

When autumn sets in, light summer beers are moved aside in favor of darker and more filling options. Porters are a top-fermented ale made with malted barley, which gives them a dark brown color and a smooth sweetness from the sugar in the malt. These beers are known for a chocolate or caramel-like flavor.

Porters were first brewed in England in the 1700s. The name "porter" is believed to have originated with the street porters, men who performed a variety of working class jobs. Porter beers were more filling than other ales and provided a source of much-needed calories for the hard working men.

Give These Popular Porters a Try:

• Yuengling Brewery: Hershey's Chocolate Porter
•  (Pottsville, PA) 4.7% ABV
• 
  
• (512) Brewing Company: Pecan Porter 
• (Austin, TX) 6.2% ABV
• 
  
• Deschutes Brewery: Black Butte Porter 
• (Bend, OR) 5.2% ABV
• 
  
• Great Lakes Brewing Co: Edmund Fitzgerald 
• |(Cleveland, OH) 6% ABV

5. Stouts

Stouts are another popular dark beer with rich flavor and an ABV that will warm up your customers on brisk autumn days in the beer garden. These beers evolved from the porter style and tend to have more of a coffee-flavor and fuller body.

Stouts and porters are very similar, and many brewers today blur the lines between the two. The one characteristic that is commonly used to differentiate stouts is the use of roasted, unmalted barley which gives stouts a darker, smokey flavor profile with less sweetness than porters.

Give These Popular Stouts a Try:

• Victory Brewing Company: Storm King 
• (Downingtown, PA) 9.1% ABV
• 
  
• Southern Tier Brewing Company: Creme Brulee 
• (Lakewood, NY) 10% ABV
• 
  
• Founders Brewing Company: Breakfast Stout
•  (Grand Rapids, MI) 8.3% ABV
• 
  
• Southern Tier Brewing Company: Warlock 
• (Lakewood, NY) 8.6% ABV

6. Wet Hop Beer

Most beer is made with hops that have been harvested and dried. Wet hop beer is made with hops that are freshly harvested and still full of moisture. This beer is truly seasonal because the harvest only comes once a year, around the end of August, and the wet hops must be used within 24 hours of being picked.

Fresh hops produce a beer with earthy notes, a pronounced citrus flavor, and a floral aroma. The contrast between wet hops and dried hops can be compared to the difference between fresh herbs and dried herbs. Many wet hop beers are only offered on draft because they are best enjoyed fresh.

Give These Popular Fresh Hop Beers a Try:

• Victory Brewing Company: Harvest Ale
•  (Downingtown, PA) 6.5% ABV
• 
  
• Deschutes Brewery: Chasin' Freshies
•  (Bend, OR) 6% ABV
• 
  

Fremont Brewing Company: Cowiche Canyon Organic Fresh Hop Ale

•  (Seattle, WA) 6% ABV
• 
  
• Austin Beerworks: Heavy Machinery Wet Hop IPA
•  (Austin, TX) 7% ABV

7. Big IPAs

The crisp ales of summer are now being replaced by stronger IPAs with bold, hoppy flavors. These big, intense beers usually have an alcohol percentage around 8% to 10%, which is sometimes twice as much as a summer session ale. Fall beers with high ABVs are perfect for hunkering down at your favorite bar while you watch a game or enjoy a meal. They're meant to be savored, and they pair much better with the heavy comfort foods we crave when the weather gets cooler.

Give These Popular IPAs a Try:

• Devils Backbone Brewing Company: 16 Point Imperial IPA 
• (Roseland, VA) 9.1% ABV
• 
  
• South County Brewing Co: Liminal Moment 
• (Fawn Grove, PA) 7.5% ABV
• 
  
• Russian River Brewing Company: Pliny the Elder
•  (Santa Rosa, CA) 8% ABV
• 
• Trillium Brewing Company: Really Big Bird 
• (Boston, MA) 9% ABV