Simmershausen Brauhaus is a small historical communal brewery. It’s located in Simmershausen, a picturesque village nestled in the rural Hildburghausen county of Thuringia. First mentioned in 874, the center is well-preserved and compact. It’s got a handful of pretty half-timbered buildings as well as the classic Thuringian gray slate. The similarly tiled St. Marien Church, which dates back to 1514, is the highest and most impressive building in the village. It’s also part of the municipality of Römhild. Hilburghausen 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.
pretty buildings of Simmershausen
Simmershausen is conveniently located on the bus line between Hildburghausen and Seßlach. So, I did not need to do any walking but it’s certainly a pretty area to do some hiking.
lovely scenery around Simmershausen
Simmershausen Brauhaus
Bad Rodach Station 11 km
Opening hours:
Not open to the general public outside of annual events.
Output: ?
History
Simmershausen Brauhaus dates back to the 1700s as a brewing tradtion. The current location began its history around 1925, though some of the equipment dates back to 1910. They completely renovated it in 2025. You can’t enter but a peek in the window gives you a good idea of its old school setup.
scenes from Simmershausen Felsenkellerfest
Simmershausen Felsenkellerfest 2026
They generally only have one festival per year, a Felsenkellerfest. As the name suggests, it takes place in the Keller where the beer is lagered on the edge of town. It is a lovely shady area, perfect for a warm weather festival. It does, however, mean you have to walk out to the other side of the village if you want to see the actual brewery.
a fine beer in a great spot
The beer
Simmershausen Brauhaus Hausbrauerbier did not disappoint. A low carbonation ale as expected in these parts, it had a lovely fruity/grainy palate. The dry lingering finish was moreish for me. The setting may have had something to do with how much I enjoyed this beer but that’s neither unusual nor problematic.
Bratwurst & homemade cakes at Felsenkellerfest
The Food
Simmershausen Brauhaus Felsenkellerfest offers the typical grilled meats that all of the communal breweries have. Bratwurst is always high quality though everyone has their favorite type, even within the Thuringian region. Steaksemmel or sandwiches are another ubiquitous item. Unlike some of their neighbors, there were no much coveted baked savory items like Zwiebelkuchen. There was a large assortment of home-baked cakes. I tried a couple but neither was my style. Since my wife wasn’t with me, I always look for something to bring back for her but neither of these would have enticed her to join me next year. This is, however, a personal preference. The cakes were selling like…well, hotcakes.
a cute spot with not even spots & the real Hausbräu
It was a brief but very satisfying visit to the Simmershausen Felsenkellerfest. It’s a super local festival but I felt very welcome. English speakers are a bit of rarity I’m sure. A young girl, surely prodded on by her parents, approached me to ask in German, where I was from. She was surprised when I told her the USA. The venue itself is surely one of my favorites of all the communal brewery festivals. This coupled with the relative ease to reach it makes it a highly likely to return event.
Beers on tap: Simmershausen Brauhaus Hausbrauerbier.
Similar communal brewery experiences in Thuringia can be found in Hildburghausen county.
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