German Beer Mugs

As an aficionado of German beer, I am also a collector of German beer glasses and to a lesser extent, German beer mugs and steins. This dates back to my US Army days in Erlangen in the 1960s. In addition to dozens of beer glasses from different breweries, I brought back a few one liter and half liter mugs. I have recently taken the one liter mugs  out of the garage and now display them on my bookcase in my study.

As you can see, I am somewhat of an amateur scholar on the history of the Third Reich and the Holocaust. Having been stationed just outside Nuremberg, I became quite interested in this terrible period and still read voraciously on the subject.

In the top photo, on the top shelf (l-r) , the mugs are, Bamberger Hofbrau, Henninger Reifbrau of Erlangen, Steinbach Brau of Erlangen, and Erlanger Erichbrau. On the bottom is a mug from Kitzmann of Erlangen. With the exception of Steinbach, all of the breweries are now defunct. The Steinbach and Kitzmann mugs were just purchased this month on Ebay. The other three are souvenirs from Erlangen's Bergkirchweih beer fest in the 1960s. The ceramic Frankfurt beer stein is one of a separate collection.

Kitzmann of Erlangen


They make a nice collection, but the problem is if you have too many, it is hard to find a suitable display location. My wife isn't going to tolerate any more beer mugs in my book case.

The Beers of Munich

Since we are in the Oktoberfest season, we should note that only six brews are allowed to be sold at the Oktoberfest grounds -those being the six recognized Munich breweries. They are:

Spaten
Loewenbrau
Hacker-Pschorrbrau
Augustiner
Paulaner
Hofbrauhaus



Bavaria, of course, has innumerable breweries and some others are located near Munich (like Weihenstephaner of Freising) and are thus, sometimes confused with Munich. You should note that the well-known Franziskaner beer has been merged with Spaten.



Does Munich have the best beer in Germany? That's a matter of taste and opinion. In my view, having visited Munich several times, I am of the opinion that with its beer halls and beer gardens, Munich is probably the best place to enjoy beer. I do think, however, that you can find beer just as good in other parts of Germany, other parts of Bavaria, like Franconia, or in states like Baden Wuerttemberg, in Stuttgart, for example.



In fact, with the exception of Paulaner, I have dined in all of the above brewery restaurants in Munich.  Personally, I have found Spaten and Hacker-Pschorrbrau to be somewhat disappointing, but that's just me. If I had to choose my favorite Munich beer, I would say Paulaner with Loewenbrau coming in second. Of course, I am merely talking about the normal pils variety, not the dark or hefeweizen.



Whatever your taste, however, for the true beer lover, a trip to Munich is a must.

Rothaus From the Black Forest

Last night after the Angels game, I popped into the Phoenix Club in Anaheim to have a couple of German brews. I noticed they had a new beer on tap, Rothaus. There was no indication of where it was from and I had never heard of it. So I ordered a glass (tap) and found it quite good.  (Always the disclaimer: It is almost certainly better in Germany.)  It was quite smooth.

Checking into it this morning, I see that this beer hails from a small village in Baden Wuerttemburg named Grafenhausen and is owned by the state of Baden Wuerttemburg.



What I had was the Tannenzäpfle pils version. If you happen to come across it, check it out.

German Beers in the US: Two New Suggestions

Until I can get back to Germany, this site is beginning to look like a promotion for this and that German restaurant in the US. I don't want to do that, but I do think I should point out two new brews currently being offered on tap at the Phoenix Club's beer stube in Anaheim. They are:

1 Ayinger Oktoberfest
2 Weihenstephaner Keller Bier

Both are Bavarian breweries, the latter being the oldest brewery in the world. The Ayinger Oktoberfest is a little darker and perhaps a bit stronger. Since I am not a connoisseur, I can't describe the taste to you in that flowery language they all use about hints of this and that. I just drink the stuff, man.

As I said, imported German beer has improved greatly over the decades, and I will take it even over American micro-brews, not to mention industrial beers like Bud, Schlitz, Miller etc. Of course, it's all a matter of taste, even among German brews, but if you in a German restaurant in the US, and they have these on tap, I recommend them.

Two Beers to Look for (in the US)

A couple of days ago, I stopped into the Phoenix Club Stube in Anaheim after a ball game to check out what new brews they had on tap. Normally, the house beer is Bitburg, which is always pretty good. This time, I tried a couple of new items, first, Hofbrauhaus Keller Bier (Munich), and Dinkelacker Maerzen (Stuttgart). Both were very good, especially the Dinkelacker, which was darker, creamier and a bit stronger. As always, I must add that all these beers are different here in the US than they would taste in Germany. However, I would take them over your average American brew-including the microbrews.

I really believe that imported German beer has improved here in the US over the past years. If they could just take that next step and emulate what the Las Vegas Hofbrauhaus has done with their imported Muenchner Hofbrau, which tastes just like it does in Munich.

Which Are the Best German Beers -in the US?

                                                 













                                                                                                                                 

As I have said many times on this site, imported German beer in the US is not the same as when you drink the same brands in Germany. There are many factors; freshness, the travel, pasteurization etc. As yet, the only time I have tasted authentic German beer in the US is at the Hofbrauhaus in Las Vegas, which serves the exact same tasting product as their parent enterprise, Munich's Hofbrauhaus.  The Hofbrauhaus also has restaurants in Chicago and Pittsburgh, but there the beer is brewed on site. Not quite the same as Vegas, which imports it directly from Munich in barrels. (I was told once that they actually ship the kegs upside down for the purpose of "re-blending" the beer. It seems to work.) In other places that serve Hofbarushaus beer, the taste is not the same as in Vegas.

But when you go to the supermarket or your favorite German restaurant in the US, which is the best brand to buy-the one that comes closest to authentic German taste?

That's a matter of opinion and taste, but I would like to offer a couple of suggestions. Again, this is based on my experiences with German beer in Southern California, where I reside.

I have had good success with Bitburger, both in cans from the market (Trader Joes) and on tap at the Phoenix Club German restaurant and stube in Anaheim. Bitburger is actually designated as the house beer at the Phoenix Club, a German-American association and cultural center. Bitburger is one of Germany's most well-known brands and widely exported. You might recall that the town of Bitburg was the center of controversy back when President Reagan visited the local military cemetery during a state visit when it was revealed that members of the SS were buried there.

I have also recently had luck with Flensburger, which is sold in flip-top bottles. You can get it in pils or dark, but I prefer the pils. Flensburg is located in northern Germany on the Danish border, and became known in the closing days of World War II  when the remaining elements of the German government relocated there under Admiral Karl Doenitz as Hitler was committing suicide in Berlin.

Until I can get back to Germany, I will have to content myself with what's available Stateside.

German Beer Coasters Promoting Islam!!??

Last month in a small town in the German state of Hesse, some genius dreamed up the idea of promoting peace and harmony between Muslims and non-Muslims by putting pro-Islamic information of beer coasters. That went over like lead in your beer as complaints came in from both sides. Apparently, many Muslims didn't want their religion associated with alcohol in any way (even though Turkish Muslims drink and even make a great beer-Efes Pilzen).

https://www.rt.com/news/459615-germany-drink-coasters-islam-row/

Reissdorf Koelsch

This week, I stopped into the Phoenix Club in Anaheim for dinner and noticed that they had a new beer on tap-Reissdorf Koelsch from Cologne. I normally don't drink Koelsch-style beer (a lighter brew originally produced in Cologne), but thought I would give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. As always, I make the distinction that when I drink German beer in the US, it is never the same product as it is in Germany-with the notable exception of the Hofbrauhaus in Las Vegas, which ships its product in from Munich in kegs and there is no change of taste.

But back to Reissdorf Koelsch. I won't try to describe the taste as a beer connoisseur would. That's way above my pay grade. Let's just say that it had a clean, full-bodied (not watered down) taste to it. If you happen to run across it on tap in your local German restaurant, I suggest you give it a try.