When your own backyard has mountains

Sometimes you don’t appreciate your own backyard. You don’t even go out in it for long stretches, especially in winter. Often it takes a little coaxing. This was the case recently when I was nudged by the need to do a little beer hiking research for my book Beer Hiking Bavaria. While Maxlrainer beers have always impressed me, I must say going to the brewery seemed a bit convoluted without a car but on looking for hiking trails in the area, I found a nice circuit with the brewery and its castle right on it.

Maxlrainer brewery and its namesake castle

The route was relatively flat and a lot more scenic than I’d expected. The mountains are quite close and it was a particularly clear day so you felt like you were right in them.

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Though flat, it was a fair hike out there and I was more than happy to see the Biergarten open with a few people sitting outside enjoying a beer.  I was about to sit down and decided it was cooler than it felt while walking. I was planning on a meal and had heard the interior was atmospherically Old World.

Maxlrainer’s Biergarten in winter & their atmospheric restaurant

I was not disappointed once seated, and even scored a table in the sun. Service was swift with traditionally-clad personnel. The roast pork and dumpling was particularly tasty after the trek and their Schwarzbier divine. It was truly a beer worth the walk.

The walk back was more relaxed but equally stunning. The roads less traveled are often the best, especially when they’re in your own backyard.

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Details on beer and hiking in the area available in my book, Beer Hiking Bavaria oder auf Deutsch: Bierwandern Bayern.

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