Albingshausen Brauhaus is a small historical communal brewery. It’s located in Albingshausen, a quaint village nestled in the largely rural Hildburghausen county of Thuringia. It’s also part of the municipality of Heldburg, which is rich in communal breweries. Across the border from Lower Franconia and part of the Fränkischer Reichskreis, it’s included here as it’s historically and linguistically tied.
Albingshausen Brauhaus
Bad Rodach Station 16 km
Opening hours:
Not open to the general public outside of annual events
Output: two batches per year
History
Albingshausen Brauhaus was built in 1721 but they completely renovated it in sandstone from nearby Heldurg Castle in 1865. In 2012, they again completely renovated it and acquired a new mash turn in 2015. Interestingly, there is no electricity in the brewery so it truly is “handmade.”They brew two batches per year, one in spring and one in autumn. They generally hold two festivals per year, a Brauhausfest and a Backhausfest. The bakery is just up the street and is another historical marvel. They gave us a tour of the museum piece brewery just before things got under way. Even with my basic German, I could follow along and found it interesting.
inside the fascinating Albingshausen Brauhaus
Along with the “usual” wood fired oven, wooden mash turn and cool ship, there were pitched barrels they use to store the beer. This imparts a unique flavor to their top-fermented beer.
a fascinating tour
Albingshausen Brauhausfest 2026
Albingshausen Brauhaus holds two festivals per year. I visited the Brauhausfest, which offers simpler grilled food like Bratwurst and Steaksemmel. That said, the Bratwurst was excellent quality. The Backhausfest is centered around the bakery just up the street, and you’ll find local delicacies like Zwiebelkuchen. That’s on my radar for 2027.
enjoying the friendly local atmosphere
the beer
Albingshausen Brauhaus only brews top-fermented beer and due to its storage in pitched barrels, it has a very unique flavor. Their Hausbier is low in carbonation but not flat and a bit similar to English ales in that sense. It was served gravity dispense, increasingly rare even in these parts.
Albingshausen Brauhaus Hausbrauerbier
It was a brief but great visit to the Albingshausen Brauhausefest as we were attending the Südthüringer Bierverkostung in nearby Heldburg that evening. I’d love to return or better yet, make it to their Backhausfest.
Beers on tap: Albingshausen Brauhaus Hausbier.
Similar communal brewery experiences in Thuringia can be found in Hildburghausen county.
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