Beer Advent Day 14: Hofbräuhaus Munich
Munich and the State Hofbräuhaus! For most tourists, a visit to the Platzl in the heart of the city is as important as ... well, what is it? The Oktoberfest itself? The Olympic site with its still impressive sports facilities, the BMW Museum, ...?
The ducal brewery
Duke Wilhelm V of Bavaria founded the Hofbräuhaus in 1589 to supply the large royal household with beer. Brown beer was brewed, typical of the time and made from barley malt in accordance with the Purity Law introduced in 1516.
The Bavarian wheat beer monopoly
The Duke soon recognized the economic potential of wheat beer. It was extremely popular and could become a considerable source of income for the state treasury. Certain ducal breweries - above all the Munich Hofbräuhaus - were granted the right to brew wheat beer. Private breweries were prohibited from producing it. The monopoly meant that wheat beer became a prestigious product in Bavaria, sold almost exclusively to the nobility and the wealthy bourgeoisie.
Hofbräuhaus on the Platzl
Weissbier production flourished and the brewery in the Alter Hof became too small. Maximilian I built a new brewery on Platzl, where only wheat beer was brewed. And he allowed the Munich innkeepers to serve his beer - not only to the servants of the court, but also to the “common people”. The “Braune Hofbräuhaus” remained in existence until 1808.
Elias Pichler and the bock beer
In addition to wheat beer, another type of beer also enjoyed great popularity in Munich at the beginning of the 17th century. It was strong beer from the Hanseatic city of Einbeck. In 1614, the Hofbräuhaus decided to brew the same style of beer in Munich. The Einbeck master brewer Elias Pichler was hired. The beer brewed in the “Ainpockhischer Art” was soon called “Bockbier” and still is today.
State brewery
Hofbräu has been in the hands of the Free State of Bavaria since 1852. Nevertheless, the name “Königliches Hofbräuhaus” remained until 1939. Over the course of time, the Hofbräuhaus was repeatedly rebuilt and extended. With the construction of the new brewery in Haidhausen in the 1890s, the property on Platzl was converted into a restaurant. In September 1897, the people of Munich celebrated the new Hofbräuhaus with its characteristic bay window. In the 1980s, the Free State of Bavaria built once again. Since then, beer has been brewed in the new, large and modern brewery in Munich-Riem.
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