I had a chance to go Europe for a business trip recently and while on a layover in Munich, took the opportunity to go to one of my favourite biergarten in the world.
Munich is known for its beer halls, and the most celebrated of them all is Hofbräuhaus (literally “Central Beer House”). Hofbräuhaus was founded on September 27, 1589, by Bavarian Duke Wilhelm the 5th and was originally established solely to supply beer to the Bavarian court. Hofbräuhaus is now owned by the state government and serves thousands of revellers a year who come to raise a stein of beer and listen to live music.
Under Ludwig II In 1879, the brewery director Johann Nepomuk Daubwasser registered the Hofbräu trademark HB with crown at the Munich Regional Court. Hofbräuhaus is located in central Munich, at Platzl 8. This was a visit almost 30 years ago, when I was so much younger and so much into Germen hefeweizen beer.
The entrance to the restaurant is easy to spot, despite its location in the bustling city centre of the city of millions. In front of the door, on the pedestrian street, numerous groups of tourists are ready to rush in as soon as the guide has finished his introductory words.
Despite the tourist crowds, there is always room in the Hofbräuhaus. With 1,300 seats, some on two floors, you’re sure to find a seat at one of the long tables in the house.
If the interior looks full, there’s always room in the Wirtgarten. In German language, a “wirtsgarten” is a waitress serviced outdoors restaurant, sometimes below trees. Unlike a traditional Munich beer garden (Biergarten), a wirtsgarten does not include a self-serviced area and does not have tables or benches allocated to guests who wish to bring their own meals according to Munich tradition.
Dozens of waiters are busily carrying pints of lager and food to the tables. The buzz of chatter and laughter is as loud as a stadium. The noise is accentuated by the occasional brass band performance.
Generating the enigmatic atmosphere of an Oktoberfest beer tent, this German-style brass band not only plays well-knows songs in an oompah style, but also some surprises in the traditional brass band traditions.
Being a bandsman myself (I am a Tuba player, the heart of the oompah band), I thoroughly enjoyed myself with the music. (Sorry the video was not 4K as it was a transcribed version from a live call.)
The Hofbräuhaus welcomes millions of tourists a year. In some aspects, it can seem a little “Disneyland” staged. While there are plenty of tourists, the Hofbräuhaus is also home to a good sample of regulars in their feathered hats and leather shorts. The servers can appear tired, the music short and sterilized, and a little overpriced, but it’s hard not to enjoy at least one beer (or three) from the Hofbräuhaus.
Hofbräuhaus serves 3 main types of beer- Dark Beer (the origin of Bavarian beer), Original (a refreshing, fine bitter), and Münchner Weisse (a sparkling, tingling, refreshing beer). Thanks to the Reinheitsgebot (Bavarias ancient Beer Purity Law), high-quality beer has been brewed here from the brewery´s very first day.
A tradition here is to buy a pretzel from one of the waitresses clad in traditional dirndl walking around with a basket of pretzels and gingerbread called lebkuchen. They are super soft on the inside and really crispy on the outside. Although the pretzel and beer pretty much filled me up, I had to try the famous Schweinshaxe.
Their Schweinshaxe (pork knuckle) is voted No.9 in the top 150 things to eat in the world. It was the first German dish I knew other than sausages. Schwein for pig, that I learned from watching WWII movies, and haxe I knew from the German lessons I was taking 30 years.
Each pork knuckle came with a choice of one or more knödel (potato dumpling). Each one of these dumpling will fill you up like a bowl of rice. The perfectly deep-fried haxe came with a nice brown sauce which I often wondered what it was made from.
I love Sauerkraut – boiled cabbage with bits of bacon and kraut berries – especially with beer. Sauerkraut is a source of probiotics, which promote healthy gut bacteria and aid digestion. So it was perfect with the greasy pork knuckles and all those sausages.
Weisswurst translates to white sausage, and is boiled instead of grilled. Despite its rather plain appearance, this Bavarian specialty is a breakfast staple that is quite delicious. Just remember to eat it with the skin removed and put lots of sweet mustard.
After a few beer, it was so much easier to make friends with everyone around. Definitely a fun place to spend a meal and a few drinks when you are in Munich.
Hofbräuhaus München
Platzl 9, 80331 Munich, Germany
Tel : +49 (0)89 – 290 136 100
Visited Aug 2023
@hofbraeuhaus_muenchen #hofbraeuhaus_muenchen #hofbräuhaus_münchen #munich #hefeweissen
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