Bamberg town hall
Bamberg is a picturesque town in the northern Franconian region of Bavaria. If you are old enough to remember the song and film, "Town Without Pity", it was filmed in Bamberg and nearby Forchheim and based on a story set in Bamberg. During my time as an MP in nearby Erlangen, in the 1960s, Bamberg was referred to by GIs as the "Town Without Pity".
Bamberg is also one of those towns in Germany, like Dortmund and Kulmbach, that is noted for beer. (Need I even mention Munich?) When I was first there (Our MP company had a detachment in Bamberg), I enjoyed Bamberger Hofbrau, which I thought was one of the best beers in the region (just my taste). I even got myself a Bamberger Hofbrau wall poster that unfortunately disappeared over time after I got back home. As for the brewery itself, it was eventually bought up by the Tucher brewery in Nuremberg. Below is what I think is an exact replica that I just found on the internet.
However, Bamberg is most noted for its Rauch beer or smoked beer. It is dark and has a smoky taste to it. Personally, I prefer to stay with the pils-helles types.
Here is a website (in German) that promotes Bamberg beer.
Here is a more specific one (in English) that lists the top breweries/restaurants in Bamberg.
Going strictly from memory, one of the main brewpubs is located right on the street that runs between the town hall (built over the river Regnitz) and the famous cathedral (which holds the remains of a former pope). If I recall correctly, the restaurant used to belong to the now defunct Bamberger Hofbrau. On my last trip to Bamberg in about 2004, we had dinner and beer there under new ownership, but I don't recall the brewery.
You can find the Schenkerla Rauch beer in the US now as well as their regular beer in bottles or cans. I have tried the regular stuff and it wasn't bad (for an import, of course).
But if you are ever in the vicinity of Bamberg, it is well worth a visit and not just for the beer. It is a beautiful little town.
