Cute little hamlet with little more than a scenically set church and an amazing small brewery. It’s not all that accessible by public transit but it’s reached by numerous trails that go over hills and through forests often to other great small breweries. I guess what else do you need?
Brauerei Penning Zeissler
Hetzelsdorf 9
91362 Pretzfeld
Tel: 09194-252
Opening hours: (pub has been closed since COVID, talk of reopening is unconfirmed and typically lack of staff is cited.)
Wednesday to Friday from 4:00
Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 9:00
Closed Monday & Tuesday
Pretzfeld Station 4.5 km/irregular bus service
Output: 4000 HL
Founded in 1623 and in the same family ever since. It’s a bustling little place. You half expect it to not be there and then you walk through the door to find few if any seats and the low hum of happy talking people. There’s a simple menu and the food is great but people come here to drink their amber nectar. Not only one of the best looking beers I’ve had the pleasure to take a photo of but one that lives up to its appearance and all the hype.
I walked here from Leutenbach and had just had an amazing lunch there and a few of their fine beers, too but must say this was the highlight of the hike. Even though I’d eaten, I had a mixed meat plate to go with the beer. The Pils was interestingly malty, almost a Hellerbock without the extra alcohol but it’s a hard sell when their flagship is so good. I still wish they had had rooms, I would have very likely spent the night!
a wondeful Vollbier & tasty mixed meat plate
I got back to Hetzelsdorf recently while staying in Leutenbach for the Walberlafest. I was also doing research for my upcoming book Beer Hiking Bavaria so we did a great hike to get there. I was excited to finally show my wife this incredible place and for her to have their amazing beer but we arrived to find it closed. It didn’t look closed as a group of guys were sitting in the Biergarten. They explained that due to the Walberlafest, it wasn’t open. The entire staff was there. They also said there was beer next to the building and you just left money in a jar. I went over to fetch a few and left a few Euros, returning with them for my wife to at least try it from a bottle.
not quite like on tap but better than walking back without a beer!
Thankfully, she did get to try the beer not only on tap but from gravity dispense at the Walberlafest the next day. Still, she has the bug and I’m sure I can get her back to Hetzelsdorf again.
With COVID closing the breweries down, I’ve resorted to getting what I can in bottles. I’ve been lucky to get a slew from Penning.
Penning Weihnactsfestbier, Weihnachtsbock, Maibock, Märzen, Kräusen, Festbier and unfiltered Lager were all excellent
Beers: Fränkisches Vollbier on tap, Pils, Lager, Leichtes, Hefeweizen, and Kräusen in bottles.
Beer calendar:
Märzen (March and April)
Frühlingsfestbier (March until the end of April)
Maibock (April to June)
Bockbier
Weihnachtsfestbier (November to January)
Weihnachtsbock (November to January)
Festbier
Kirchweih (End of May and the beginning of September)
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