WOODLANDS, FARMHOUSES &
SLOW FOOD
JULY 25, 2024
BRAUEREI ZEHENDNER
Set in the Steigerwald is the tiny, sleepy farming village of Mönchsambach, home to the family-run Brauerei Zehendner, which humbly goes about its business of brewing some of the finest (some say the very finest!) lager in the world while focusing most of its attention and sales on longtime loyal customers located within a 20-kilometer radius of the brewery. The copper kettles are visible from the spacious courtyard biergarten, which features a small botanical garden, a kiddie playground, and a basketball hoop. With three generations of Zehendners loading deliveries, preparing food, and tapping 20L kegs amidst a steady flow of local traffic, this is nothing less than a working museum of traditional, timeless Franconian family farmhouse brewing.
Zehendner’s brewing fame rests primarily on its wonderful Lagerbier, a deep golden bottom-fermenting gem with a perfect balance of earthy, malty and bitter notes (tapped straight from gravity kegs in the farmhouse and poured into .5 liter ceramic steins). But the brewhouse also produces an excellent rustic weizenbier as well as the occasional seasonal specialty. Brauerei Zehendner is highly regarded internationally by brewers and savvy aficionados alike, and does provide a small percentage of beer for export, primarily within Europe.
BAUMWIPFELPFAD STEIGERWALD
The Steiger Woods “Treetop Path” is a nearly-4,000-foot wooden walkway that gently but dramatically spirals its way up through various levels of the surrounding forest before culminating in a 135-foot-high observation tower. The highest point features fine views of Franconia’s countryside and nearby villages, and at ground level can be found a small zoo showcasing local fauna. For the exuberant beer tourist this creatively-designed woodland complex provides as well a much-needed literal breath of fresh air to balance off the conspicuous and unavoidable consumption of local lager, bread, cheese and bratwurst!
GASTHOF BAYER
At first glance a typical, classic southern German roadside village inn, the tidy and conservative-appearing Gasthof Bayer is in fact a world-class beer destination for those in the know. Bayer’s extremely small and compact brewhouse produces rather unique seasonal craft beers (some top-fermented) in addition to a superbly drinkable everyday house Landbier, courtesy of an enthusiastic and skilled sister-brother brewing team.
Bayer’s Slow Food-recognized restaurant, Zum Grünen Baum (“At The Green Tree”) meanwhile serves up creative, seasonal, and locally sourced rustic cuisine that is among the most characterfult to be found in Franconia. To top it all off, the house distillery creates its own liquors based on various indigenous fruits. Gasthof Bayer thus brings together the finest of the region’s gastronomic, brewing and distilling traditions under one unassuming roof.
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