Ban Bräu
Bahnhofstraße 33
96231 Bad Staffelstein
Tel: 0160 948 64 000
ban-braeu.de
Bad Staffelstein Station 750 m
Opening hours: winter
Monday to Thursday 12:00 to 22:00
Friday & Saturday 12:00 to 23:00
Sunday 14:00 to 22:00
Output: ?
History & setting
Ban Bräu has created quite a stir, not only in Bad Staffelstein but in a good part of Upper Franconia, since its founding in 2024. Many say there won’t be enough room in the cooler months but space on the main street of Bad Staffelstein isn’t likely to come inexpensively. As it stands, it’s a modern one-room tap house. They don’t have full service food so tables can be small and high, making standing an option. With the brewery right on display, it’s a good use of the limited space they have. Uncharacteristically for Germany, there’s a stand-up bar where the the tap is. The owners are quite personable and there’s a real community feel about it. It seems very local and people seem to know each other. That said, they are curious and friendly with outsiders, which we could have easily been made to feel.
a quick stop at Ban Bräu
The beer
The beer is so popular that the first time we went, they were out of it so we had to suffice with local Ebensfelder Brauhaus Hell. I made sure to keep track of social media after that as they are quite good at announcing when they do have their beer so it paid off. I guess there could be worse problems! The Ban Bräu Hell is a traditional type Franconia beer but with a Craft Beer twist of American hops. I found the name a bit confusing as it was very much an unfiltered amber. The beers are served directly from the tank and since the run out so quickly, it’s definitely fresh! I see they are brewing a Dunkel now so will try to get there for that. I’d also like to try one of their snacks. They looked like good quality and come from a local butcher.
Ban Bräu Hell & replacement Ebensfelder Hell
The Dunkles Lager & food
We finally got back to Ban Bräu for their Dunkles Lager and took the opportunity to the Pfeferbeisser, a spicy dried sausage from a local butcher. It conveniently came with three, perfect for our trio. Served nicely on a plate slate with butter and a pickel. The fresh high quality bread is from the Kerlings bakery up the street.
Ban Bräu Dunkles Lager & Pfefferbeisser
Waldinator & its namesake liqueur
The real purpose of this past visit was to try their first ever Bock, Waldinator. Though light in color, at 7.4%, it’s heading towards a Heller Doppelbock. The owners found out it was my friend’s 50th birthday and gave us a round of Waldinator Liqueur to try.
Waldinator & liqueur
They were very friendly and cleared up some of the growing confusion about their current brewing situation. They hadn’t anticipated how popular they would become and had been running out of beer on a regular basis. There was a desire to have more than one beer at a time, so they struck a deal with Ebensfelder Brauhaus. The Ban Bräu brewer uses their much bigger facility to do the flaghip Hell. The smaller system at the brewery is used for the Dunkles Lager and seasonal beers like the Waldinator.
a fun stop at Ban Bräu
Ban Bräu Rauchperle & Kalterbraten
With a new smoke beer on tap, I stopped in to sample and was happy to see Kalterbraten on the chalkboard. The Rauchperle was another winner from Ban Bräu, though I’d have preferred a tad more smoke in the balanced mix. The Kalterbraten was quite good and a large portion for the price. I needed a second beer to help wash it down, so I certainly enjoyed it enough. I also met up with some English speakers who preferred the beer over the smokier ones in Bamberg, so there are those who like a bit less smoke.
Ban Bräu Rauchperle & Kalterbraten
With its proximity to the Bad Staffelstein train station and a steady stream of beer, there’s no excuse not to drop by Ban Bräu for a friendly Seidla. I recently brought a tour group here, and they loved the Sommerbrise.
Beers: Ban Bräu Hell & Ban Bräu Dunkles Lager.
Seasonal beers: Waldinator, Rauchperle, Sommerbrise.
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