Back in the 1960s, when I was stationed in Germany with the US Army (in Erlangen), I started collecting German beer glasses, the kind you get when you dine in a restaurant and drink whatever local brand they exclusively served at that time. One of the glasses I obtained and shipped home was this glass from what was then the Hacker Brewery of Munich.
As anyone familiar with Munich and German beer knows, there was a merger between the two companies (in 1972)-hence, it is now known as Hacker-Pschorrbrau, one of the 6 recognized Munich breweries. Below is a photo of a more-recently-obtained Hacker-Pschorr glass.
In doing some research, I learned that the merger of 1972 was actually a reunification of the two names. That goes back to 1793 when Joseph Pschorr married Theresia Hacker, the daughter of the Hacker brewery owner in Munich. In 1820, Pschorr created his own brewery under the name Pschorr. Later on (1841), the entire business was divided into two separate businesses and bequeathed to Joseph Pschorr's two sons. If you read German, you can read it all on the brewery's website.
During past visits to Munich, I have had lunch a couple of times at the Hacker-Pschorr restaurant, and I must admit, I was a bit disappointed with the beer.
So I had been reluctant to try a 6-pack (bottled) of Hacker-Pschorr at my local wine and beer market in California. But try I did, and I was very pleasantly surprised. I have gone back for seconds, and my wife really enjoys it. Could it be possible that a German beer tastes better in the US than it does in Germany-in its own brewery restaurant no less? Of course, it's all a matter of personal taste, and you may find everything different according to your own tastes. You may even think I am crazy or that I have been away from Germany too long (2013).
