The Secret Capital Of Beer
JULY 29, 2024
KULMBACH
The oldest European brewing vessel ever unearthed was discovered in Kulmbach, and for 650 years commercial brewing has existed here. By the mid-20th century there were several sizeable breweries in the town, and all — Kapuziner, EKU, Mönchshof, and Reichelbräu — eventually merged under the Kulmbacher banner. A large percentage of townspeople make their living directly or indirectly from the local beer industry, and Kulmbacher is the only German brewery that displays its municipality’s coat of arms in its trademark.
bAVARIAN BREWERY MUSEUM
The grand old former Mönchshof brewery on the outskirts of Kulmbach has been beautifully converted to a set of three museums, one dedicated to baking, another to spices, and a third focusing on the city’s main claim to fame, brewing.
The Bavarian Brewery Museum offers an historical overview, and artifacts, of the entire recorded history of brewing, dating back thousands of years to its believed origins in Mesopotamia. But the bulk of the info and historical gear more directly references the history of beer-making in and around Kulmbach. Features at the museum include significant portions of the original Mönchshof brewery, a rare glass brewing vessel and plenty of antique Kulmbacher bottles, signs and other breweriana. A tasting of the museum’s own handmade beer is offered post-tour.
Mönchof Bräuhaus
Set on the outskirts of Kulmbach in the shadows of what was once the Mönchshof brewery, the Mönchshof Bräuhaus is a beautifully-renovated traditional guesthouse and showpiece for Kulmbacher’s “rustic” beer brand. The beer hall and restaurant date back 600 years −to the times when much of Kulmbach’s brewing was still monastic, and large beer halls, biergartens and guest rooms were commonly attached to brewhouses of all sizes. Not surprisingly a good range of Mönchshof styles are represented here, and the Bräuhaus is the natural stop-off for visitors to the amazing museums set in the grand old former brewery.
KULMBACHER BRAUEREI
This large regional brewery retains the specialty beers and cultural identities of four local companies that merged in the last century. Unlike that of other similar-sized German breweries, Kulmbacher’s 2,000,000 hectoliter facility doesn’t focus on one highly-marketable brand but instead produces a wide range of diverse styles — over 30 different regular beers — for local, national, and international devotees. While renowned for its world-class pilsners, weizens, and kellerbiers, the brewery is arguably best-known for two styles particularly associated with the town itself: schwarzbier and eisbock.
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