Prost! Munich's Most Authentic Beer Hall
Looking for an authentic beer hall experience in Munich? Try the Augustiner brewery rather than the famous Hofbräuhaus. (Illustration: Augustiner Brau)
By Cathy Bennett Kopf/The Open Suitcase
Oktoberfest is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Munich, and Hofbräuhaus is second. Cuckoo clocks? A distant third. I rolled into the famous beer hall after a day of sightseeing and discovered something eerily familiar. But not in a good way. It looked just like the biergarten in Epcot Center. Oompah band. Buxom waitresses in dirndls peddling pretzels. To get a seat, you wander around and pounce the second someone begins to leave. It reminded me of a crowded mall food court. When I finally got a table, I was hardly surprised to find that the couple to my right was from Texas. On the left? Pennsylvania. I hefted my liter stein of dunkel (dark beer) glumly.
Do multiple sets of stein lifts to firm your upper arms. (Photo: The Open Suitcase LLC)
A couple of days later I took a guided day trip to Neuschwanstein, one of Mad King Ludwig’s residences and Disney’s inspiration for its own iconic castle. I rode up front and pumped the tour guide for information about where to go for a traditional beer. Without hesitation, she advocated for the Augustiner brewery, the oldest in Munich, located a short walk from my hotel.
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A drive on Bavaria’s Romantic Road will take you from one storybook village to another. (Photo: The Open Suitcase LLC)
The place was crazy busy. The cloud of noise was all in German. Regular customers get their own tables and store their personal steins in on-site lockers. Despite my lack of a reservation, the host said he’d fit me in and led me to a table where three gentlemen, one wearing lederhosen (the gentleman who wound up in my lap), were seated, The “reserved” placard on the table indicated the patrons were “Uli, Walter, und Freunde.”
Although I prefer dark beer, my companions insisted I try the Augustiner Lagerbier Hell. The brewery claims to follow the production method originated by the Augustinian monks back in 1328. The beer is stored and shipped in wooden barrels, giving it a depth of flavor you don’t normally find in lagers. They also told me that full liters are for tourists; the locals order halfies.
My apologies to the vegetarians. Munich’s all meat, all the time. I watched people eat hot dogs for breakfast. (Photo: The Open Suitcase LLC)
When you receive your beer, the waiter makes a tick mark on your coaster to keep track of your bill. A quick glance at Mr. Lederhosen’s coaster revealed he’d had 11 beers, explaining his desire to burrow under my blouse and also making it very easy for me to roll him to the ground.
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His tablemates, Uli and Walter, were wonderful dinner companions. During my trip I’d found the Bavarians to be very reserved, but here at Augustiner everyone was quite loose thanks to the constant stream of beer and pork knuckles. I bid the gentlemen auf weidersehen after a couple of steins; the high alcohol content of the beer was starting to make my head buzz and I needed to find my way back to the hotel.
Although the Hofbrauhaus may be Munich’s most famous beer hall, the Augustiner provided a more authentic experience. I was in Munich after all, not Orlando.
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