When your brewery is a legend, your village doesn’t need much else. That said, there is a great hiking trail that starts and ends here and also passes a castle and another fine brewery. Grasser offers great value rooms and is well worth staying over to fully appreciate their varying range of beers.
Brauerei Grasser
Huppendorf 25
96167 Königsfeld
Tel: 09207-270
huppendorfer-bier.de
Ebermannstadt & Bamberg Stations 20 km/irregular bus service
Opening hours:
Closed Monday & Tuesdays
Wednesday to Saturday from 9:00 to 10:00
Sunday from 9:00 to on days with full hot meals/from 3:00 to 10:00 on days without
(note: there are hot lunches every other Sunday but check their website as holidays effect the schedule)
Output: 12000 HL
Founded in 1503, the Grasser family runs quite an operation from this little village. That the beer is much renowned around Franconia attests to its quality and if you come to the brewpub anywhere near a meal time, you will be hard pressed to find a seat so the locals like it, too. I’ve been here a few times now despite it being difficult to get to without a car. In fact, we’ve rented a car a couple times just to go and spend the night. It’s that good. First time in, I had a great mixed meat plate and along with their typical Vollbier, an amazing Maibock called Josephibock. I bought a case for the road!
Go when the Josephibock is on tap and you won’t regret it
The next time we went, my wife had duck breast and I had a lamb knuckle and we were both blown away with the food. I tried a tasty Pils, though it was heading more towards a cereal grain palate more typical of a Helles.
A tasty Pils, lamb knuckle and duck breast
The last time I went, I had walked from Sachsendorf at the top of the Aufsess Brauereienweg. It was a long and surprisingly hot walk and I was happy to finally get to sit outside in the Biergarten area. I was also super happy to have a room there. Their classic Vollbier never tasted so good. It was hard for me to not order another so I could try their Export but it was on tap and I’d never seen it before. I did and was very happy about it. I had a great roasted half chicken which was up to par with the beer. It was packed and a gorgeous day. I missed a great photo opportunity but I was too tired and sore to get up. Like I said, having a room there was a true blessing.
Worth the walk never was more true
The next stop was another quickie for lunch. Their Pfingstöchla was on tap and the reason for the visit. This great rich Festbier was worth the stop and since my wife got to sit in their Biergarten for the first time, she was happy too. Needless to say, we picked up a case to bring home she could enjoy a beer once there. The bonus was they still had soe of their Märzen in bottles left! We both had the chicken with roast potatoes. This time, since I’d not hiked all day to get there, I made sure to take some pictures of the Biergarten.
Grasser Pfingstöchsla & their charming Biergarten
The next quick stop was for their autumn specialty Grachäds, a scrumptious Rauchbier. My trusty driving wife was rewarded with a fantastic duck breast. The two together were divine. Needless to say, some bottles went home with us since we had the car.
Grasser’s Rauchbier Grachäds & one hellava duck breast
About a month later, I took advantage of a big birthday for my mother-in-law to make another stop. We generally don’t up to visit in November since Christmas is right around the corner. We also take the train for the long holiday so having their Weihnachtsfestiber has proved problematic. With a car and some great food awaiting, my wife was more than happy to oblige. The problem was, the place was absolutely packed. If you stop in Huppendorf on a Sunday for lunch, you will wonder why there are so many cars in the tiny village. Well, Grasser is as noted for meals as beer. Anyway, the son said we could sit at the bar (very unusual in Bavaria) and we enjoyed goose breast this time. One great thing about Grasser is they usually have Wirsing (savoy cabbage) rather than Blaukraut and my wife is a huge fan of it. I got some Fest to bring home. The son jumped off the very busy bar, ran across the street and fetched it quickly. Hats off to Huppendorf!
a large goose breast with dumplings & tasty Christmas Festbier
While researching my book Beer Hiking Bavaria, I knew I would include Grasser. As you can see, I love the place and I also had never done the complete Tummler Brauereienwanderweg. I timed it to coincide with their Märzen Anstich on Tages des Bieres but unfortunately, that left me with no room at the brewery. I was a big dejected but determined to have the Märzen on tap and stuck with my plan. I just hiked up and back from where I was staying, doing half of the Tummler in the process. It was a dreary day and I was there quite early so didn’t see any of the festivities. Their Märzen was well worth the effort and remains perhaps my favorite in that style.
Grasser Vollbier makes the book & their Märzen was super too
Though it was early and though I’d had a big breakfast, I figured I’d better have something to eat. I just had to have a couple of the Märzen beers and I needed to have a Vollbier, as I was going to use it for the book. So, another Huppendorfer chicken saved the day. I’ll get back for this Anstich one day and I’ll make sure to book a room way in advance.
two recently sampled Grasser Weißbiers
We recently spent another night at Huppendorfer. The rooms are excellent value and getting to enjoy their beers on tap with some fine food is always a pleasure. The Huppi was in amazing form but I forced myself into finally sampling an equally tasty Zwickel on tap. These beers demand food and we shared a mixed meat plate and an order of Zwetchgenbames.
Grasser Zwickel & Brotzeit
The main reason for the visit was to resample their Josefibock, certainly one of Franconia’s finest Hellerbocks. I followed up with their Weizenbock which was surprisingly on tap after perhaps a slowed down COVID winter. It was sublime.
two amazing Bocks
Another lunch stop found me enjoying their Burgunderbraten and happy to find their Rauchbier on tap as well as their Festbier. It was busy as always and you can easily see why.
another great lunch at Huppendorfer
Beers: Huppendorfer Vollbier, Huppendorfer Pils, Huppendorfer Zwickel, Huppendorfer Weizenbier plus one or two seasonal beers on tap. Bottled Huppendorfer 1750 Vollbier.
Beer calendar:
- Winterweizen from the 6th of January
- Josefibock in March (Anstich on March 17th)
- Märzen on Tag des Bieres (April 24th in 2018)
- Pfingstöchsla from Whit Monday
- Grachäds (Rauchbier) in September
- Weizenbock in October
- Kathrein Bock in November (Anstich is the middle of November)
- Weihnachtsfestbier in December
- Summer Kerwa is the last weekend in July or first weekend in August (Export Bier)
- Kathrein Kerwa is the weekend after Repentance Day
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