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.
