Breweries in Franconia

This guide lists breweries, brewpubs, beer cellars, brewery museums and other attractions related to beer and beer culture in the southern German region, Franconia. Franconia is the northern end of the Bavarian state, and offers stark contrasts with the state's southern end, which is dominated by Munich, where the Oktoberfest happens early each autumn. Being administratively part of the state of Bavaria is a sore point with the locals, so you are wise to avoid calling people "Bavarians" or assuming too much of an overlap between the region and Munich, as they are about as distinct from one another as "Bavaria proper" and its western neighbor Baden Württemberg.

Understand
Franconia is sometimes divided into Beer Franconia (Bierfranken), which is the Upper Franconia and Middle Franconia regions, and Wine Franconia (Weinfranken), which is most of Lower Franconia, where the wine culture is stronger. The subdivision of Franconia into Upper, Middle and Lower Franconia dates only to the 19th century and in parts doesn't correspond to historical, religious and cultural boundaries and has furthermore changed slightly as late as the 1970s when the Bavarian government fused smaller communities and slightly redrew the boundaries of Middle, Upper and Lower Franconia. That said, it is still the most commonly used and accepted subdivision and has been used here due to its overall prevalence if nothing else.

Franken has well over 250 breweries and over 1,000 different beers. The highest brewery density in the world can be found in Upper Franconia in Franconian Switzerland (which is not in the country of Switzerland). In a triangle formed by Nuremberg, Bamberg and Bayreuth, the tradition of small breweries has continued to the present day.

Types of beer
According to an old law (variously purported to date back several hundred years) beer is supposed to be made from malts, hops, water and yeast and nothing else. However, today's regulations actually allow a lot of other ingredients and "adjuvants" to be used in the brewing process as long as they cannot be detected in the final product. While the smaller breweries listed here by and large do not do most of what's allowed by the law, brewing today is not exactly the same as when the Reinheitsgebot (purity law) was first passed and neither are the ingredients.

With the ungespundet beer, the bung apparatus sitting on the store tank, the pressure regulator is opened, the carbon dioxide escapes making the beer lower in CO2 and foam.

While beer that is produced by big breweries (sometimes derisively called Fernsehbier because breweries that can afford to make TV spots tend to converge on one type of beer with similar flavor) is usually filtrated to extend its shelf life, many breweries covered in this guide have at least one type of beer on offer that isn't. While this ungefiltert beer has a shorter shelf life, it often has a more complex flavor and is arguably healthier (as far as any alcoholic beverage can be good for your health) because it contains more vitamins, micro-nutrients and the like. Unfiltrated beer is usually sold under names like "Kellerbier" and is sometimes only available from the tab due to its shorter shelf life.

A specialty of Bamberg in particular is smoked beer or Rauchbier locally known as "Schlenkerla". The malt is smoked prior to brewing. It's assumed that most beer used to have a smokey aftertaste because almost all malt was dried over (smokey) fires, but given modern technology, today's smoked beer is produced on purpose rather than by accident. It's certainly an acquired taste and local folklore contends that taste improves after a certain amount has been consumed.

Bierkeller
A specific Franconian tradition rarely found elsewhere is the Bierkeller (literally "beer cellar"). The Bierkeller arose during the period prior to artificial cooling, when beer could only be brewed during certain times of the year and had to be stored as cool as possible to avoid it spoiling as many of the modern technologies to extend its shelf life were not yet invented. The cellars were dug into mountains or simply underground outside of town and often planted with chestnut trees that gave shade in the summer but had roots shallow enough to not damage the underground caverns. Cellars were kept cool by their underground location and through ice which had been cut out of lakes and ponds and was stored under straw to last through the summer. Soon enough, brewers started to sell beer right from the storage caverns and put up simple banks and other equipment to give patrons a place to consume their beer. Traditionally only cold food or street food style foods were sold, but today some Bierkeller have branched out into full on restaurants. In more traditional Bierkeller it is still acceptable to bring your own food, though beverages - including soft drinks - should always be bought from the restaurateur. While the invention of artificial cooling made the use of underground caverns for storage redundant, the associated gastronomic activity had become popular enough for the Keller to stay open into modern days. Bierkeller are today a common destination for hikes or Sunday outings with friends and family during the summer. Some Keller are close enough to one another to enable bike tours from one to the next in a single day and some are even served by the S-Bahn or other public transit.

Talk
With few exceptions (mostly Bayreuth and Bamberg) the towns and villages on this list receive few to no international tourists and the breweries mentioned here are by and large still family-owned traditional businesses. This means that you'll have mixed results trying to communicate in English and English language menus are the exception, rather than the rule. Rural brewpubs in Franconia are still a place where dialect is alive and well and combined with the many technical terms related to beer (some of them even regional terms that won't be understood even by some brewers in northern Germany) you might wish to know some terms that the German Phrasebook does not cover. Note that Franconian pronunciation is famous for pronouncing "P" like "B" and "T" like "D" which will sometimes shine through even when people speak English.


 * Brauerei: brewery
 * Gasthof/Gasthaus: pub/inn
 * Gasthof Brauerei: Brew Pub or Brewery Tap
 * Seidla  - Franconian dialect for half a liter; almost exclusively used referring to beer (a Seidla Bier)
 * (Bier)keller  - see above; note that you say "auf den Keller gehen" (literally: go on top of the cellar) for visiting one
 * Maß (Bier) - a liter of beer; less common in Franconia than in Munich but certainly not unheard of
 * Radler  - a mixture of roughly equal parts beer and lemonade the word literally means "cyclist" and refers to the fact that it allows you to go on with you bike tour with less DUI concerns
 * Brotzeit  - a (usually cold) snack that does not qualify as a full on meal Brot means "bread" and Zeit means "time"
 * Kellerplatte  - an assortment of different types of sausage and/or cheese; a commonly served type of Brotzeit in a Bierkeller
 * Schäufala (different spellings exist)  - a dish made from pork shoulder named for the shovel-like appearance of the bone. The dish is notable for its crusty pork rind
 * Schlachtschüssel  - meats and sausages from freshly slaughtered pig.
 * Gaas Seidla  - a mixed drink made from beer, cherry wine and coke. Available pre-mixed from some of the listed breweries

Get in
If you're not already in the area, the best entry points are Nuremberg and Bamberg, which are both served by long distance trains run by Deutsche Bahn as well as Intercity buses. Bayreuth also makes for a good entry point, but it has been awkwardly off the main rail routes since the 19th century. If you're arriving from farther away, the airport of Nuremberg is certainly the closest and most convenient, but Munich airport  and Frankfurt airport  are better connected internationally and a train from there can get you into the region in a few hours.

Get around
All modes of transportation have their downsides here, so it depends on where exactly you're going what the best option for you is.

By public transit
Most of this region is covered by the VGN tariff union centered on Nuremberg and the Nuremberg S-Bahn serves many places in the region. However, bus service to some of the smaller towns or outlying Bierkeller in rural areas can be sparse or nonexistent.

By car
You should know this already, but do not drink and drive under any circumstances. While some places listed here are indeed best reached with a car, the local roads can be curvy and treacherous and both snow and fallen leaves are a serious risk for almost half the year. Don't get too frustrated when you're stuck behind someone admiring the landscape and going way slower than the legal speed limit and leave the risky overtaking maneuvers to the locals.

By bike
Given the concerns about drinking and driving that come with going on a brewpub tour and the sometimes less than satisfactory coverage with public transit, riding a bike can be a worthwhile way to explore the region. Generally speaking you should have no problem parking your bike (don't forget to lock it, though), but not all rural roads are perfectly equipped for cyclists. Keep in mind that Franconian Switzerland is more mountainous than the rest of the places covered in this guide. The German cyclist association ADFC provides some information in English as well and they have Bett & Bike, a program aimed at certifying bike friendly lodgings.

Altenkunstadt
Since the brewing pans used to be made of wood, they were heated from the inside with hot stones. After the invention of the boiling pans made of metal, this went out of fashion. In the old brewing process, the beer worts are heated by the addition of hot stones. This caramelizes a part of the malt sugar and gives the beer a caramel. The old-fashioned Steinbier (stone beer) is produced by the local brewery, Leikheim, and can be tasted in the inns.



Aufseß
Aufseß is well-known for its breweries. It received an entry in the 2001 Guinness Book of Records as the highest brewery density in the world: The 1,317 inhabitants have four breweries, which works out to one brewery for every 330 residents.







Bad Staffelstein
Bad Staffelstein and its districts have about 10,000 inhabitants and ten breweries. There are over 40 beer types made by the breweries. Some of them are only available at certain times of year or for special occasions. For a beer aficionado, this wide variety of beers makes Bad Staffelstein a very attractive destination.











Bamberg


The historic city centre of Bamberg is one of the world cultural heritage sites designated by UNESCO. But the city also has a cultural heritage to offer in its beer. Those who visit the city should definitely try a smoky beer. This beer specialty is only available in the Bamberg area.

The most famous of the forty Bamberger beer varieties is the Schlenkerla Rauchbier. It is served in the Schlenkerla Inn, and receives its particular flavour from the barley dried over a beech wood fire. It is distributed all over the world and can also be ordered on the Internet. The name is traced back to the odd gait of an earlier brewer, caused by an accidental injury. Experienced smokers will be glad of the fact that the smokers taste the right way after the third or fourth half litre (Seidla) at the earliest, which can be understood as a warning as well as courageous as a challenge.

A further regional and Bamberg beer specialty is the U (colloquially) for the 'unspread beer' (non-carbonated): The beer is produced unfiltered and without piling, thus with little carbonic acid and without overpressure in the barrel (Mahrs-Bräu).





Bayreuth
In Bayreuth there are two specialties, which are only offered in two pubs. First, the Buschenbier (from the tuft, which is hung up to indicate that the delicious Buschenbier is present) in the Mohren Bräu always on the first Thursday–Friday of one month to the Saturday into and then as long as it lasts. Secondly, Becknbier, which is periodically served by the bakery Lang. Both beers are ungespundet beers which are to be drunk within a few days.



Buttenheim




Less than one kilometre from the motorway exit, to the left is the town, on the right there are parking lots and the shaded beer cellars of the two Buttenheimer breweries.



Ebermannstadt
Easily reachable by regional trains from Forchheim



Forchheim




Forchheimer Kellerwald

The cellars in were used to store beer prior to the advent of artificial cooling. Serving the beer on site was only the next natural step. This has resulted in the Bierkeller culture, which is in essence the Franconian variety of the beer garden (but don't use this term, lest you offend cultural sensitivities) with beer and Franconian cuisine served outside in the summer months. The operation has since been turned into a year-round thing with more permanent houses built for the winter months and more upscale cuisine than you'd expect from a more basic beer garden.

Frensdorf




Gräfenberg
Regional trains connect Nürnberg Nordostbahnhof and Gräfenberg. From Nordostbahnhof take U2.

The Fünf-Seidla-Steig is a brewery trail about 19 km long to the five private breweries in the communities of Gräfenberg and Weißenohe.



Hallerndorf


On the Kreuzberg On the Kreuzberg near Hallerndorf in the middle of the forest, below the medieval pilgrimage church, three breweries invite you to eat and drink. From the parking lots to the first beer you have to walk a few steps.



At the foot of Kreuzberg

Kronach
The term  'Schmäuß'  emerged in the Renaissance and Baroque times. At that time, every citizen of the Upper City had the right to brew beer between Michaeli Day on 29 September and Georgi Day on 23 April. In between, the Kronach Oberstädter were not allowed to brew a beer, except for a greater festivity, such as wedding or child baptism. Then the town council could approve an additional brew, the so-called Schmäuß. The concept still exists, today as a special beer on historical festivals, today it is included in the brewery's range, a dark beer with 4.5% alcohol, the Schmäuß brew.



Kulmbach
In Kulmbach, there are three breweries, the 'Kulmbacher', which is known from television and the small  Kommunbräu . From an idea of a few Kulmbach people in the 1990s arose a brewery cooperative. In 2016, the inn "Zum Gründla" was added.



Memmelsdorf






Neudrossenfeld




Neuhaus an der Pegnitz
Since the early middle ages there has been a communal charter in the municipality which is still used today. Brewed in the common brewery house. The commissions have not always opened, only one of the three communes alternates, the traditional six-breasted brewer's star, the brewer's sign, is used as a sign.



Pegnitz
In the past, beer was brewed only in the cold months, because the beer did not hold up well in the summer heat. In Pegnitz in 1728 an agreement was made, and 1852 precisely defined that during the summer months usually the authorization to the pubs change from week to week. This was called Flinderer. Today it is alternated weekly, from Tuesday to Easter until June, in various Pegnitz restaurants. The exact dates can be found on the homepage of the city. To complement the Flinderer Starkbier, try favorite local dishes such as liver and blood sausages, white and red head cheese, aspics, boiled pork belly, bratwurst, roasted or sour in the onion soup, ribs, horseradish and roast pork with dumplings.

Reckendorf

 * Information about the brewery
 * Information about the brewery
 * Information about the brewery

Seßlach
The is unique in its wide surroundings. It is brewed with the simplest methods, the right to brew exists since 1335. On "Fasstag" (barrel day) housebrewers come to collect their beer quantities in suitable vessels, such as drums, glass balloons, and canisters.

It is not long since the beer for the Reinwand Inn was still carried in vats across the Maximilian square. Today it is brought hygienically over a pipe from the Kommunbrauhaus to the inn, where it can ferment and mature in the vaulted cellar.



Stadelhofen




Strullendorf




Waischenfeld




Wattendorf
The two breweries are directly opposite the street.



Weißenohe
The is a brewery trail with about 19 km long to the five private breweries in the communities of Gräfenberg and Weißenohe.



Lower Franconia
While wine has historically been more prominent in this area, beer is brewed here as well.

Bad Kissingen




Ostheim vor der Rhön

 * In 1995, after many years of cooking, Dipl.-Braumeister Dieter Leipold introduced the system of the lemonade made according to the principle of brewing. The sugar is converted into gluconic acid instead of by fermentation in alcohol by a (secret) fermentation process. The purely biological method of production was the prelude to the triumph of the Bionade as a non-alcoholic modern refreshment drink; It is made in the flavors of elderberry, lychee, herbs and ginger orange. Today the Radeberger Group produces the modern shower head. Further information:www.bionade.com
 * In 1995, after many years of cooking, Dipl.-Braumeister Dieter Leipold introduced the system of the lemonade made according to the principle of brewing. The sugar is converted into gluconic acid instead of by fermentation in alcohol by a (secret) fermentation process. The purely biological method of production was the prelude to the triumph of the Bionade as a non-alcoholic modern refreshment drink; It is made in the flavors of elderberry, lychee, herbs and ginger orange. Today the Radeberger Group produces the modern shower head. Further information:www.bionade.com



Lauf an der Pegnitz




Neustadt an der Aisch




Nürnberg