What We Did on Our Holidays

First beer of the day at Kloster Andechs

We did a fair bit of travelling around whilst we were in Munich last month. I have already described our trip into the Bavarian Alps, visiting Kloster Ettal and Mittenwald, but we also did some exploring closer to the city centre. These more local trips took full advantage of Munich’s excellent integrated public transport system, and of the real value-for-money group tickets which the local public transport authority (MVV) has available. An ordinary day ticket or Tageskarte, is value enough in itself, but the authority also issues a Partnertageskarte which, as its name suggests, allows more than one person to travel on the same ticket. In fact up to five adults can use the ticket, providing of course they all travel together. In addition a number of children can also travel on the ticket.

Lunch option at Kloster Andechs

We visited some favourite out of town destinations, such as Aying, Kloster Andechs and Forschungsbrauerei, but also used the Inner Ring ticket to search out some more unusual places closer to the city centre. Kloster Andechs of course, needs little in the way of introduction to regular visitors to Munich, with the monastery and Bräustüberl perched on top of the Holy Mountain, over-looking the Ammersee and the brewery just below. A train trip to Herrsching, right at the end of S-Bahn 5, followed by either a 10 minutes bus ride, or an hour’s walk up through the woods, takes you to this popular, and at times heaving watering hole. Because of its popularity, Kloster Andechs is best visited mid-week. The sun was shining when we arrived, so we sat enjoying our first beer of the day in the small beer garden, about two thirds of the way up the hill, before adjourning to the sheltered terraced behind the Bräustüberl. Both the Helles and the Doppelbock Dunkles were in fine form, but given how crowded the place was, even for a Tuesday, we decided to eat elsewhere. 

Steamer setting off from Seehof

We caught the 14.20 bus back down into Herrsching and made for Seehof; a largish restaurant over-looking the lake, with a separate self-service beer garden area complete with tables set right at the water’s edge. With a glass or two of Hofbräu Original, a plate each of O'bazda and a ringside view of the calm and serene Ammersee against the backdrop of the surrounding hills, I can think of few better places to spend a sunny afternoon. We watched the steamers coming and going from the adjoining jetty, and got chatting to a lady who lived the other side of the lake, but who had cycled right round to Herrsching. After a glass of Hofbräu, and a bite to eat, she was planning to return back by ferry with her bicycle. We had an interesting chat, primarily in English because she wanted to practice her language skills; but what a nice lady, and what a fantastic way to spend your day, cycling around the shore of a beautiful and scenic lake, stopping for lunch at a beer garden over-looking said lake, and then taking the ferry home!

Ayingerbräu

Ayingerbräu, who brew in the village of Aying, a 35 minute train journey to the south of Munich, like to promote themselves as “Munich’s favourite country brewery”. It is well worth making the 30 minute S-Bahn trip out to Aying and then walking up to the village centre and the brewery inn and guest house, known as Liebhards. Previous visits have been evening ones, but this time we made the trip at lunchtime. It was our first full day in Munich and the grey-leaden skies were pouring with rain like it was never going to stop. We got soaked just walking up to the pub from the station, but once inside the rustically furnished, but surprisingly large inn, and with a half-litre mug or two of Ayingerbräu’s excellent, unfiltered Kellerbier in front of us, all thoughts of the inclement weather outside vanished.

We arrived at around 12.30pm and the pub was quite quiet, but not long. After we has sat down and ordered our drinks, several parties of mainly elderly people came in. Like us, they seemed glad to escape from the rain, and like us they ordered some food to go with their beer. Actually we only ordered some soup, as we were planning on eating something more substantial in the evening, but the chicken noodle soup and the dense, dark local Landbrot that went with it, were just right for lunchtime.

If you don’t want to make the trip right out to Aying, the company’s beers can be found in several outlets in Munich itself; including the Ayinger am Platzl, opposite the Hofbräuhaus, right in the city centre. The latter is run by a member of the Inselkammer family, who also own and run the brewery.

Liquid refreshment at Bräustüberl Tegernsee

Two days later, under equally wet conditions, we took a trip out on the BOB train to Bräustüberl Tegernsee, right on the shores of the Tegernsee itself. Like at Kloster Andechs the previous day, the beer hall was packed, but we were able to sit outside in the dry under the extensive canopies in front of the Bräustüberl. Just feet from where we sat the rain cascaded down in biblical proportions, obscuring our view of the lake, but we were fine as we quaffed our Brauhaus Tegernsee Helles and Dunkles, and got stuck into our lunch of potato cakes with sauerkraut.  It was fortunate that we arrived early, as the number of spare places under the canopies began to steadily diminish. It really is amazing where all the people come from, but I expect the excellence of the beer and the food, coupled with the attractive lakeside setting have a lot to do with it.

Hinterbruhl Gasthof

We had set aside Friday for shopping, but had forgotten that August 15th  is a public holiday in Catholic Bavaria, celebrating the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. Consequently all major shops and most small ones were closed, so shopping went out of the window. Instead we did some more exploring of pubs and Biergartens within Munich’s inner zone, starting with trip by underground to Thalkirchen, the stop for the city’s zoo. A short bus ride, followed by a walk through the trees along the banks of the Isar River, brought us to Hinterbruhl, an impressive looking Gasthof built in the style of an Alpine chalet.

We sat out on the terraced, self-service beer garden which overlooks the river, hoping that the earlier intermittent rain was finally clearing. Fortunately it was, so we got stuck into a half litre each of Hacker-Pschorr, before heading off elsewhere. This was our second visit to Hinterbruhl, but on neither occasion have we ventured inside. For the history buffs amongst us it is worth recording that this guest house was used, from time to time, as a convenient and tucked-away, out-of-town meeting place by senior Nazi officials during the early days of World War II. The likes of Goering, Goebbels, Himmler and even Hitler himself would gather here on occasion, away from prying eyes and ears. I wonder if they bothered to sign the guest book!

Brückenwirt

Re-tracing our journey back to Thalkirchen, we headed west by underground and then due south by S-Bahn to Höllriegelskreuth, where by following the directions and map in The Beer Drinkers Guide to Munich, we managed to find our way to our lunchtime stop of Brückenwirt. The map took us through some woods and we then followed a series of steeply descending concrete steps down towards the river, and then to Brückenwirt pub, right on the river bank, just below the impressive, high-level road bridge across the Isar valley.

Löwenbräu was the beer here, and I have to report their Urtyp Hell was very good. By the time we sat down in the small beer garden at the side of the pub, the sun was shining so it was off with the fleece and on with the sunglasses! There were several Floß, or rafting parties moored up; we had heard the noise from their on-board Oompah band whilst we were still high up in the woods, but one by one these large rafts, and their parties of itinerant drinkers, cast off their moorings and set off to float down the canalised section of the Isar, down towards the city. 

Floß party setting off from Brückenwirt

For those interested, the Floß trips start at Wolfratshausen and end at Thalkirchen, close in fact to Hinterbruhl where we had been earlier. The total journey is around 30 kilometres (18 miles). The rafts weigh around 22 tonnes, and can hold up to 60 people apiece. These float trips are not cheap, but the price includes pick-up from, and return to central Munich, lunch and beer en route at somewhere like Brückenwirt, and also beer on the raft. They certainly seem very popular, and with a good crowd, and some decent dry weather, I imagine the whole thing could be a hoot.

Our final outing was on our last evening in Munich and took us to the village of Perlach; home to the well-respected Forschungsbrauerei. This was our third visit to Forschungs, and I have to report it has changed somewhat. Actually it had changed on our previous visit two years ago, but not as profoundly. Forschungs is unusual; the name Forschungsbrauerei translates literally as “experimental brewery” and that is how the company started out.

Forschungsbrauerei, Perlach

It was founded by Gottfried Jakob in 1930. Gottfried had trained at the world renowned Weihenstephan Brewery, and had started out making beer on a small 44-gallon brewery, trying out various recipes on family members and close friends. His efforts met with approval, and encouraged by this success, Gottfried started a commercial venture, by building a brewery with a capacity of 500 gallons, along with a small restaurant. He deliberately kept the operation at this size, as his aim was to develop new brewing processes without compromising the quality of his existing products, whilst at the same time keeping the whole operation manageable and within the capabilities of his family. 

After his death in 1958, his son Heinrich took over the business, helped by his father-in-law, Sigmund. For many years the pub was only open between March and October, as during the winter months the pair concentrated their skills on brewing research for other companies. Heinrich’s son, Stefan continued this tradition, helped by his uncle and other family members, but in October 2010, Stefan Jakob terminated the lease and for a while the future of the brewery, and the adjoining pub, looked uncertain. Fortunately new owners took over the business in August 2011 and made several improvements.

The pub is now open year-round, 7 days a week, and the beer range has been revamped. Long-time brewery mainstay Pilsissimus Export is available year-round, as is a new Dunkles (dark) beer.  The excellent flagship brew St. Jakobus Blonder Bock (7.5% alcohol), is now only available some of the time, (not at the time of our visit, unfortunately). In addition, a new, slightly weaker summer Helles is available from May to October. Finally, there is a special Weizenbock (strong wheat) and Christmas edition dark lager available in limited batches during the Christmas season. Beer is now available in half-litres as well as traditional litre mugs, (it was litres only in the pub and beer garden after 4pm; not always a wise move with the 7.5% Bock!). Finally, there are weekday lunch specials, and regular evening entertainment.

Finally, one other pub with a beer garden attached that is worthy of a visit, is Waldgaststätte Bienenheim which, as the first part of its name suggests is in the middle of a forest. The second part of the name translates as “bees’ home”. Situated just outside the suburb of Lochhausen, Waldgaststätte Bienenheim is two bus stops, plus a short walk away from Lochhausen S-Bahn station. Its main attraction for the beer lover is the beers from Maisacherbräu; a local brew from a company based in the village of Maisach, a few stops further down the line. 

Entrance to Waldgaststätte Bienenheim

The pub is simply furnished and quite rustic in nature, and the beer garden itself is quite small. Don’t make the mistake that we did of following the waitress’s recommendation to try the “spicy, full beer”. It was very nice, but turned out to be an unfiltered 6.3% pale Bock; not the beer to be starting an evening’s drinking on! The unfiltered Maisacher Kellerbier was a more sensible, but equally good tasting alternative.

There are of course, many other interesting places to drink in and around Munich, and lots of interesting beers to enjoy as well.

What We Did on Our Holidays is the second album release by the band Fairport Convention and was the first to feature Sandy Denny. The album showed a move towards the folk rock for which they later became noted.

Beer52.com - again

One of the freebies I received for attending the European Beer Bloggers Conference at the end of June was an eight bottle case of “craft beers” from Beer52.com. This is actually the second such case I’ve received; the first one being back in February. Beer52.com were one of the conference  sponsors. More about sponsorship at the bottom of the article, together with various disclosures relating to this.

As before, I promised Siobhan at Beer52 that I would post a review of the beers, once I had drunk them all. So, a little later than planned here are my thoughts on the eight beers. By the way, if you fancy giving the company a try, click on the link here to their website. Then enter code BAILEYBEER10, which will get you £10 off your first box, making it £14 instead of £24 for the 8 beers, a new magazine & free delivery. 

The Hop Studio Gold 4.5% - described as a “Contemporary Fine Ale”, this full flavoured beer has a base of Maris Otter Pale Malt and Caramalt, and is hopped with a mixture of Challenger hops (for bitterness) and Motueka hops for citrus and tropical fruit flavours.

Brewed at The Hop Studio in York, this contemporary pale ale is both easy drinking and refreshing, and is one of the best new bottled beers I have tasted in a long time.

The Celt Experience Golden Age Crafted Ale 4.2% - A really zesty and citrus-like, highly hopped, golden ale. The high degree of hopping is evidenced by a bitterness level of 46 IBU’s., making this a real thirst-quencher of a beer. This beer would definitely pair well with curries, or other spiced food.

Crafty Dan 13 Guns 5.5% - Daniel Thwaites’ recently launched American IPA, brewed as a salute to the original 13 states of America. Claiming to have an intense hit of hops, the beer certainly uses plenty of hops in its make up; including Centenniel, Citra, Amarillo, Apollo, Chinook and Kohatu. I believe that most, if not all of these are North American varieties.

The hops add tropical fruit aromas and taste along with bitterness, laid over a base of Pale Ale, Munich, and Caramalts, along with a touch of rye. All in all a very interesting and satisfying beer, and one I will look out for in the shops.

Founders All Day IPA – Session Ale 4.7% - I enjoyed this beer on draught, at The Brew Dock whilst in Dublin for the EBBC,  and have to say it’s every bit as good in bottled form. Some might say (there’s a song three somewhere!), that 4.7% is on the strong side for a session beer, but given the high gravities of many of the new wave of American IPA’s, 4.7% is probably quite moderate.

Whatever the strength argument, this well-hopped amber ale slips down a treat, and is certainly a beer I would be happy to drink all day. "Brewed by Founders Brewing Co. of Grand Rapids, Michigan."

Brouwerij deMolen Op & Top 4.5% - described on the label as “American Biter-ish”, this is an aggressively bitter beer with a hopping rate of 42 EBU. Bottle-conditioned, with quite a yeasty-kick to add to the bitterness, I have to say this is not a beer I would actively seek out, despite its undoubted reputation.

Not undrinkable, but not especially enjoyable either, so I’m rather relieved that it comes packaged in a 33cl bottle, although the beer did grow on me after a while!

ELB (East London Brewing Company) Pale Ale 4.0% - Attractively packaged with a minimalist label. The beer is described as “A crisp, lighter ale. Hoppy but not over-powering, with a subtle bitterness. It’s a pleasant session beer.”

Unfortunately there was nothing pleasant about my bottle, as the contents were infected, with a sharp, lactic- woody taste. This beer is bottle-conditioned – need I say more!

Anarchy Brew Co. Citra Star 4.1% - A hoppy blonde beer with obvious citrus notes and flavours from the Citra hops used in its production. A nice crisp and refreshing beer, and at 4.1% just the right strength for a good session’s drinking.

Hardnott Continuum 4.0% _ Hardnott’s esoteric take on an American-style pale ale, loaded with West Coast American hops such as Cascade, Centennail, Citra and Willamette. These combine to create citrus and other fruit flavours which balance the juicy sweet malt. Again a beer brewed at the right strength for a decent session.

Disclosure:  

I don’t get sent that many freebies, but all such items will be gratefully received. If you do send me beers to review, please be aware that I will give a totally honest opinion of your product. If I like it, then great, but if for some reason I don’t, then I will say so.

If the beer is not to my taste, but has been brewed correctly, and is not suffering from off-flavours, then I will again be honest. I will probably say that the beer in question is a good example of the style in question, but it just doesn’t float my boat! You can’t say fairer than that!

As an attendee of the European Beer Bloggers Conference I was privileged to enjoy various beers and food, most of which were provided by the conference sponsors. I am not going to list all the sponsors of this food and drink, although I would obviously like to thank them. I will, however, single out major conference sponsor, Molson Coors, who provided a stipend for the first 60 “citizen Bloggers” who registered for the conference. The stipend took the form of a refund of our conference fee, on the proviso that recipients wrote at least two blog posts about the conference. I wrote eight, so I think I earned my stipend, but I would have written around this number anyway, regardless of sponsorship.

I have a small pension with Molson Coors, which hopefully will have matured nicely by the time I retire.

 

Upstairs at the Hofbräuhaus

The Hofbräuhaus, just after opening

My last trip to Munich a couple of weeks ago means I have now clocked up five visits to the Bavarian capital. On each and every one of those visits I have made a point of calling in at the Hofbräuhaus, the city’s most famous watering hole and sinking the odd Maß or two of beer, whilst soaking up the atmosphere of what must be the best known pub in the world.

Some might describe the Hofbräuhaus as a “tourist trap”, but whilst a stop for a beer there is undoubtedly on the agenda of most visitors to the city, and coach load after coach load of tourists are bussed into the place on a daily basis, this venerable beer hall still manages to attract its own bunch of regulars, and has several Stammtisch (tables set aside for regulars),  dotted around its bustling ground floor Schwemme.

Upstairs at the Hofbräuhaus

As I said earlier I have made at least five visits to the Hofbräuhaus, (some trips to Munich involved several sessions here), but until August this year I have never ventured upstairs. I was aware of the upstairs banqueting hall after watching the late Michael Jackson’s seminal Channel Four series “The Beer Hunter”. In the second episode our intrepid Beer Hunter is invited to join Munich’s elite with the tapping of the Maibock. Unfortunately, You Tube have blocked all episodes of the Beer Hunter from being viewed on their UK site, so there is no point in me posting a link to this clip. (Bastards!)

Marking one of the high points in the beer-lover's calendar, this springtime beer is tapped each year in the last week of April at the  Hofbräuhaus. Invitations to this social occasion are sent out by the Bavarian Finance Minister, and anyone who's anything in politics, business or culture makes sure they attend.  While the tapping of the first barrel of Maibock is naturally a cause for celebration, those expecting a congenial atmosphere alone had better watch out, as it is also a time for derision, paying back old slights and making fun of bigwigs, all in line with time-honoured tradition.   

The setting for the ceremony looked impressive, but I wasn’t sure if “upstairs” at the Hofbräuhaus was off-limits to ordinary folk. The upstairs is a right rabbit-warren of a place, as son Matthew and I discovered when we took a look for ourselves. Not only did we find that that the impressive banqueting hall is accessible to ordinary mortals, but there are also several side rooms up there where one can enjoy a drink, and perhaps a bite to eat, in peace and quiet away from the noise and bustle of the downstairs Schwemm. Have a look at the photos and see for yourselves

The upstairs banqueting hall

The Hofbräuhaus am Platzl, was founded in 1589 by the Duke of Bavaria, Wilhelm V, and is one of Munich's oldest beer halls. It began life as the brew-house for the royal court; hence the name Hofbräuhaus. Twenty or so years later the Hofbräuhaus was brewing beer for common folk as well, after gaining a reputation for the high quality of its beer. It moved to its present site in 1828, and was rebuilt in something approaching its current style in 1897. I say “something approaching its current style”, because it was badly damaged during Allied bombing raids in World War Two, and was not completely re-built until the late 1950’s.

Of course the has had its unsavoury moments, as it was one of the beer halls used by the to fledgling Nazi party declare policies and hold functions in the years following Germany’s defeat in the First World War. These meetings culminated on 24^th February 1920, with a proclamation by Adolf  Hitler on National Socialism in front of around 2000 people at the Hofbräuhaus. The proclamation reconstituted the German Workers' Party as the National Socialist German Workers' Party; commonly referred to as the Nazi Party. However, the description of the Hofbräuhaus as “Hitler’s local”, by one or two sensation seeking journalists is nonsensical, especially when one considers that as Hitler did not drink alcohol, eat red meat, or smoke, the beer hall was hardly his scene.

Anyway, that’s enough about the past; like I said earlier the Hofbräuhaus is almost certainly the most famous pub in the world and everyone who stops by there wants a piece of the action. Today, it is owned by the state of Bavaria, in a way that could only be possible in a beer-loving country like Germany. If you find yourself in Munich then do call in; I promise you won’t regret it!

A Day in the Bavarian Alps

Street scene, Mittenwald

Just over half way through our stay in Munich we took advantage of the efficient German Rail System to journey south for the day, into the Bavarian mountains. Our destination was the small town of Mittenwald; one of the highest towns on Germany and being almost right on the border with neighbouring Austria, just about as far south as one can go and still be in the Federal Republic.

Comfortable and fast Regional trains depart from Munich’s Hauptbahnhof hourly, with a journey time of just under two hours. En route the line skirts the Starnberger See, the biggest of several to the south of Munich, before heading off in a south-westerly direction towards the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen; home to many winter sporting events as well as the 1936 Winter Olympics.

As our train sped south, the scenery became more and more spectacular, with the mountains steadily growing in the distance as we approached them. We had other plans first though, as we wanted to pay a brief visit to the monastic brewery of Kloster Ettal. Some homework prior to our departure for Germany  revealed that Ettal is just a 10 minute bus ride way from the railway station at Oberau. What was even better was the fact our train ticket was valid on the bus which, like many services in the region, is operated by Deutsche Bahn.

Alighting at Oberau and walking the short distance to the bus stop, it appeared we weren’t the only thirsty pilgrims heading to the monastery that day. Around half a dozen others were making the same journey, although most must have stayed for longer than we did, as only one other couple shared the journey back with us.

Almost as soon as we left the station and crossed the busy north-south highway, our comfortable coach-style bus began to climb, and soon the road was snaking its way up into the mountains, with pine forests on one sideband steep ravines on the other. Before long we reached our destination, the small settlement which has grown up around the imposing abbey church of Kloster Ettal. We left the bus and crossed the road to the monastery entrance.

I had read briefly about Kloster Ettal and its monastic brews, but wasn’t quite prepared for just how close the monastery is to the mountains. Dating back to the early 1600’s, the imposing abbey church was rebuilt in Baroque style following a fire in 1744. Today, the complex functions as a Benedictine abbey with a community of 50 monks, and as well as its own brewery operates a distillery, a bookstore, an art publishing house, a hotel, and a cheese factory. The distillery produces Ettaler Kloster Liqueur, a herbal liqueur which comes in both a sweet yellow and a more herbal green varieties.

Klosterhotel Ludwig der Bayer

There was building work going on outside the church, so we skipped a visit there and instead made for the Kloster shop. There I bought some bottles of Kloster Ettal beer and a few post cards. We them retraced our footsteps back across the road to the Klosterhotel “Ludwig der Bayer”, which is owned by the abbey. As the adjacent photograph shows, the hotel is quite an imposing building and is obviously a popular stop-over place for people visiting this picturesque part of the Ammergauer Alps.  It seemed quite up-market as well, but the waitress didn’t mind us sitting in the Braustüberl just having a drink (Klosterbräu Ettal Helles). 

We then caught the 12.19 bus back to Oberau station, and after a short wait boarded the 12.45 train to Mittenwald, some two hours after our original train. The train divided at Garmisch, with only the front portion continuing on to Mittenwald. The single track line climbed steeply up through a wooded valley towards out destination, and some 20 minutes later we alighted at quite a large station over-looking the valley of the River Isar; the same river which flows through Munich.

Mittenwalder beer

Despite the sunshine, it felt decidedly chilly as we walked the short distance from the railway station into the centre of town. We called in briefly at the tourist information office, primarily to pick up a map, but seeing as it was lunchtime and that we hadn’t eaten since breakfast we decided to go in search of some food and drink. Like most towns in Bavaria, Mittenwald has its own brewery, and Mittenwalder Privatbrauerei claims, with some justification, to be the highest in Germany.    

Beer garden, Gasthof  Stern

As might be expected, the brewery has several outlets in the centre of town, and the one we chose, Gasthof Stern was very good. Despite the chill, we sat out in the partially covered beer garden at the rear of the pub, from where we had an excellent view of the imposing mountains, just across the valley. We enjoyed a glass each of the very pale-coloured Mittenwalder Helles, along with a traditional Bavarian favourite of Leberkas mit Spiegel Ei und Kartoffelsalat. (Baked, finely-ground pork and beef loaf, topped with a fried egg and accompanied by potato salad).

Leberkas mit Spiegel Ei

After that we had a look around the town which was larger than it first appeared. It is a picture-postcard sort of place, with unbelievably pretty, flower-bedecked Alpine houses and shops. Needless to say it was crowded with tourists, including some from Birmingham if the accents were anything to go by. We found a supermarket where I was able to buy a couple of bottles of Mittenwalder beer to take back with me, (my rucksack was getting rather heavy at this point!)

There is a cable car cross the valley which runs up to restaurant and viewing area, high up one of the mountains. We toyed with the idea of taking a ride up the mountain, but unfortunately the peaks were shrouded in clouds, so we would not have seen much had we gone up. Time was getting on by now anyway, and although the last train back to Munich doesn’t leave until10.30pm, we made our way back towards the station to check on the times.

Mittenwald

Close to the station was a wooden cabin café, with several groups of people sitting outside at tables, chatting over a beer or two or a glass of Schnapps. We decided to join them and enjoyed a further glass of Mittenwalder Helles, before catching the 4.30pm train back to Munich. The journey back was every bit as scenic as the outward one, and the countryside looked even more attractive now that the sun was shining.

I can certainly recommend a visit to this attractive part of southern Bavaria, especially to anyone who appreciates spectacular scenery. Beer wise there is much to offer as well, and whilst this part of Bavaria, know as Oberbayern doesn’t have the same large concentration of breweries as say Franconia in the

Tourists in Mittenwald

north, the combination of mountain scenery, picturesque old inns and decent beer is a winning one in my book. Well known beer writer Des de Moor wrote a piece about brewing in nearby Murnau, and a while back, writing in CAMRA’s Beer Magazine, he described a beer and hiking holiday in the region. Now given my enjoyment of walking in the countryside, coupled with my passion for good beer that for me would be a holiday which would come close to heaven!

I believe this is the company referred to in Des’s Beer Magazine article.

That Magic Headache Ingredient

Thirty years or so ago during the early 1980’s, when I was living in Maidstone, a friend who was older, and much wiser than me came out with a statement that was pertinent then, and still holds true today. He was describing the morning after a night spent drinking Shepherd Neame beers, back in the day when the company’s beers were worth drinking, and when they also had a considerable presence in Kent’s county town.

“What is that magic headache ingredient in Shepherd Neame beers?” my friend asked. Of course neither of us knew the answer, but we both knew what he was talking about, as even a moderate session on Sheps invariably led to a sore head the following morning. This was in sharp contrast to the other readily available cask beer in West Kent at the time; Fremlins Bitter. You could drink a gallon of the stuff and still feel OK the next day!

I’ve pondered this question over the years, but never arrived at a satisfactory answer. One thing I have noticed though is that the next day headache is NOT related to the alcohol content of the beer. I was reminded of this fact last Friday morning, having attended a CAMRA meeting the night before. The meeting took place at a pub in Tunbridge Wells.  I had arrived late, the pub was an old one and it was quite dark in the bar. The pub was tied to Greene King, but like several others locally the licensee is allowed to stock several guest beers.

A beer called Swordfish from Wadworth caught my eye, and I have to say it was rather good. I have never been a huge fan of the company’s flagship beer, 6X. There’s nothing wrong per se with the beer, it’s just that a heavily malt-driven ale is not to my taste. If anything Swordfish was even maltier than 6X, but after eight days in Bavaria, drinking predominantly hop-driven, light-coloured beers, it slipped down rather well; so much so that I ordered another. It was only after a friend pointed out the beer was 5% that I thought it perhaps prudent to switch to something lighter for the final beer of the evening.

The next morning I had the headache from hell, and it was then that I decided my discomfort must be due to something in the beer, rather than just its strength. After all, a few days previously I had been drinking Bavarian beers of a similar strength, and in greater quantity, with nothing worse than a dry mouth the following morning. Without a doubt, this new beer from Wadworth had that infamous “magic headache ingredient” but what could it be?

Research shows that classic hangover symptoms are not due solely to excess alcohol (ethanol), although if one has obviously over-indulged, rather than just having had a few pints, then the high levels of alcohol in your system will make you feel rough regardless. Drinking an alcoholic beverage that contains impurities or preservatives can give you a hangover, even if you only have one drink.

 Some of these impurities may be other alcohols besides ethanol. Other hangover-causing chemicals are congeners, which are by-products of the fermentation process. These “higher alcohols” and congeners are more likely to be formed when fermentation takes place at higher temperatures, which would explain why the beers  I was drinking in Munich the other week did not have this effect; having been fermented and matured at a lower temperature than traditional English ale.

 

So in the interests of further research, and as something of a project to list out beers to watch out for if you don’t want too much of that “morning after feeling”, which beers, in your experience, have that avoid at all costs, “magic headache ingredient”?

Something in the Air

Straight out of the terminal

Airport bars are renowned for stocking a limited range of over-priced “international” beer brands, and are not normally the sort of places to attract the seasoned beer hunter. In the UK, the appearance of Wetherspoons at various airport terminals, has been a welcome addition in terms of choice of beers, but most of these outlets are like darkened cabins, shoe-horned into the terminal building, with little to distinguish them from other airport watering holes. The beer may be good, but drinking it is not such a pleasant experience, with all the queueing and jostling for space associated with many JDW city outlets.

Travellers passing through Munich’s Franz Josef Strauss International Airport though have the choice of stopping off for a tasty glass or two of house-brewed beer at Airbräu; a large brew-pub situated in the open concourse area, called the Munich Airport Centre, or MAC, between Terminals One and Two. Opened in 2008, Airbräu has been a favourite stop off of mine when either arriving, or departing from Munich. What I particularly like is the large outdoor beer garden which takes up part of the concourse. As the concourse is covered by a large flexi-glass roof, one can still enjoy a beer during rainy weather.

The tasty, house-brewed Helles

Airbräu offers three standard brews, plus seasonal beers which change throughout the year. All the beers are unfiltered and very tasty to boot, and what’s more they are cheap. On our recent visit we paid €2.75 for a half litre of Fliegerquell (their standard unfiltered Helles), and €2.45 for their Jetstream Pilsner.

The combination of good beers and keen prices ensures a steady stream of customers, but unlike the JDW outlets at UK airports, where the service is frenetic and the place rammed, sitting out in the beer garden at Airbräu is a much more relaxed and pleasant experience. Although I haven’t eaten there, the food offerings at Airbräu look good and, judging by the number of people dining last Monday, they appear very popular as well.

Enjoying a beer before the flight

A visit to Airbräu is a good start to a holiday or any other trip to Munich, as well as a good place to end a break on. We have made a point of calling in there now on our last three trips to the Bavarian capital, and if you are heading that way, and have sufficient time to do so, then I strongly recommend you do the same.

Who Would be a Wirt?

As mentioned in the previous post, we experienced a few days of inclement weather in Munich. After sitting in the Bräustüberl, or restaurant section of a couple of beer gardens, and watching the rain pouring down outside, I was left pondering what happens to the myriad of staff who would normally be employed serving and generally looking after the running of the beer garden?

This is not such a dumb question as it might at first seem, as even the self-service areas (Selbstbedienung) require staff to man the serving hatches (both the food and the drink ones), people to man the tills at the exits, and staff to go round collecting up the empty glasses and plates. In addition, extra waiting staff are needed to look after those areas which are not self-service.

So, what happens when it rains? What do the management do with all these extra people? Are they sent home without pay? Or are they employed on a casual basis anyway, where they only get paid for those days/sessions they actually work? Also, how does the management cater for the decreased demand? Beer is probably not too much of a problem, but perishable items, such as meat and vegetables almost certainly are, and when the demand is not there, what happens to all those knuckles of pork and roast chickens?

Then there is also the financial aspect of decreased turnover. Again, most establishments will be able to cope with the odd rainy day or two, but what if the wet spell is prolonged? This must be of particular concern to the larger beer gardens; places such as Hirschgarten or Chinesischer Turm which, at their peak, can cater for upwards of 8,000 drinkers? Knowing the Germans and their legendary reputation for efficiency, I expect they are more than able to cope with these sorts of situations, but as an outside observer who is involved in allocation of work duties on a day to day basis, I was just wondering how it all works out.