Mönchshof Bräuhaus

kulmbach mönchshof exterior
Hofer Straße 20
95326 Kulmbach
Tel: 09221-80514
www.bayerisches-brauereimuseum.de

Kulmbach Station 1.5 km

Opening times:
Daily from 10:00
Closed Monday

Output: 2,100,000 HL

Founded, or maybe merged is a better way to put it, in 1996. Obviously, many of its parts have long and illustrious pasts but no use crying over spilled beer.  The actual brewery is not at this address though there is a Brewery Museum which brews some specialty beers here. The museum draws a fair amount of people but like many, I came out there to have a meal in the somewhat atmospheric beer hall.  There is a nice big leafy Biergarten, as well, but no one was manning it the day we stopped by.

chestnuts in bloom at the leafy Biergarten & a cozy interior

I wanted to check out the beer hall anyway and it was nicely done up in dark wood and typical furniture. It was a bustling place even during the week at lunch with lots of big groups, probably having just finished a brewery museum visit.

Nice beer hall and bar area

I opted for their tasty Schäuferla (pork shoulder) washed down with two of their very nice Schwarzbiers.  It’s not often you find it on tap so worth going just for that. Once called Klosterschwarz and referred to as the “Black Pils,” due to its bitterness, I’m sure the recipe has been dummed down a bit for the masses. Sadly, the masses aren’t drinking it if it’s not on tap so why not try and make something for those of us who want something like say, a Black Pils.  Ah, craft beer idea #1 for Mönchshof.  At any rate, it was a great meal and the beer sure went well with it.  Overall, I’d go back but not rushing back with so many other amazing smaller places in Franconia.

Schwarzbier & Schäuferla is one great combo

I’ve been finding some of the Mönchshof beers in Munich so giving them a try to varying levels of success but worth generally worth drying. So far, the Hell was my least favorite and Weihnachts Festbier the favorite. The Maibock showed promise but fell short in the finish.

some bottles picked up in Munich

Beers: Mönchshof Kellerbier, Original, Schwarzbier and Weißbier all on tap, Mönchshof Landbier, Hell, Lager and Bockbier in bottles. Kapuziner Kellerweizen, Schwarz, Kristall and Leicht in bottles.

Seasonal beers: Mönchshof Maibock, Weihnachtsbier and Kapuziner Winterweizen.

Beer calendar:
Bierwoche (Beer Week) is a week long beer festival that rivals Munich’s Oktoberfest and is held for the last weekend of July to the first weekend in August.
Obviously, the brewery makes all the Kulmbacher and EKU beers but you can find them anywhere. The above beers are what they have at the Mönchshof Bräuhaus.

Back to Kulmbach.