If I’m being entirely honest, there’s a lot of generic beer served across Munich in the same way as dull lagers are served in many UK pubs. Manacled by the outdated Reinheitsgebot, which is a Bavarian innovation, the boundaries of beer are far more limited than in nearby countries such as Poland and macro breweries pump out endless litres of uninspiring beer.
But there is yet hope, from a growing number of interesting, innovative and excellent craft breweries.
Some of the brewing equipment on-site and thank goodness for ventures such as this, which is listed on Untappd. Table service is offered, which felt a little unusual for a set-up like this with a blackboard behind the bar, but the team members were knowledgeable, helpful and engaging. This felt a place where the staff actually cared about the product and were keen to talk and converse about it.
The interior is functional and clean, but this is all about the beer. Richard couldn’t find anything that tempted him, so he had some wine related thing that I ignored.
I went for a tasting board to try as many of the brewery’s beers as I could.
(i) Bru-Bliss. This is a light, fluffy, hoppy and smooth IPA with a touch of citrus.
(ii) Os’s Hoptimus Prime. This had flavours of mango and orange, being light and nicely rounded.
(iii) Royal Drunkness. Creamy, sweet, taste of coffee and liquorice.
(iv) Quake Crusher. Fluffy, with flavours of grapefruit, stone fruit and perhaps a bit of hedge.
(v) PH-1 and this was my 6,000th Untappd check-in. Nicely sour, lots of orange and just the right amount of tartness.
(vi) Sky Krush. Hoppy, hides its 7.5% ABV and suitably juicy.
And, in my view, these beers completely outclassed the generic offerings at Hofbräuhaus which is an ideal location to see Munich’s past. The focus here is on flavour, quality and depth of taste, not just beer designed to be poured in litre quantities and drunk quickly. The number of these venues is increasing across Germany, but I wish they’d increase in number just a little quicker. I was suitably surprised and delighted, this is definitely a venue that I’d recommend.