The atmospheric castle ruins of Waischenfeld were first mentioned in writing in 1122. The ruins are well worth exploring and the town makes a good place to rest your head if walking the extensive brewery trail network surrounding it with a few restaurants and hotels in a compact area nestled in the hills.
Brauerei Heckel
Vorstadt 3
91344 Waischenfeld
Tel: 09202-493
Ebermannstadt Station 19 km/irregular bus service
Opening hours:
Closed Monday & Thursday
Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday from 4:30
Saturday 9:30-1
Sunday 10-12:30 & from 4:30
Output: 300 HL
Founded around 1900, this has to be one of the smallest operations in the world with only a couple other outlets in town. The one room taproom is simple and with the odd opening hours and small size, it seems to fill up quickly, especially with groups of hikers. This was high on my list of places to visit but has never fit into my hiking schedule when passing through the village due to the restrictive hours. So, I planned an overnight trip to Waischenfeld by car and were very disappointed to walk into a positively packed pub only a half hour after its opening. We walked up to the Gasthof Jöbstel to have dinner and were happy to find the Heckel-Bier on tap there. The meal was great and the beer was decent but I wasn’t about to come all the way back to Waischenfeld to have it again.
marvelous old pub & Heckel-Bier
So, on the way back, I asked my wife to give it one more try and we managed to squeeze onto a table of locals for what was to be one more beer. Well, the beer was gravity dispensed in the brewery and it made a huge difference in not only the body of the beer but also the flavor. Up at the hotel, the finish was a bit sticky but that aspect was nowhere to be tasted at the brewery. We wound up staying for quite a few and had a grand time. Guess we’ll be back.
got back to Brauerei Heckel to enjoy it on a quieter day
We recently stopped by Brauerei Heckel while doing the Burg und Bier Pfad hike from Breitenlesau. It was a gorgeous sunny day and many people were bringing their beers outside to enjoy along the river. Since it was relatively empty inside, we decided to enjoy it while we could. The beer was even better than we’d remembered.
Beers: Heckel-Bier
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