German Brewery Tours: Discover the Best Breweries in Germany
Want a true taste of German culture? Take your taste buds for a tour at one of Germany’s many breweries and explore the rich history of centuries-old beer brewing in Germany.
According to the purity law of 1516, German beer is only made with four ingredients – water, hops, malt, and yeast – however, that doesn’t mean that all German beer tastes the same. Visitors can enjoy 5,000 types of beers crafted by over 1,200 German breweries. From thousand-year-old monasteries to state-of-the-art facilities, discover the art of beer in some of Germany’s best breweries, all offering brewery tours and beer tastings.
1. Hofbrau Brewery Tour
Address: Platzl 9, 80331 München, Germany
Phone +49 89 290136100
Germany’s most famous brewery opens its doors to the public each week to share (some) of the secrets of their world-famous brew. This national treasure is now owned by the Bavarian state government and attracts tourists, celebrities, and regulars.
Devote between 60 and 90 minutes to learning every step of the brewing processes, from the sticky smell of hops to fermenting, conditioning, and tasting. End your education by sampling the freshly tapped unfiltered beer accompanied by Bavarian snacks. Moreover, if a taste is not enough, the pub at the end of the tour allows you to continue your sampling. If you want something more permanent than a headache to remember your visit, there’s a souvenir shop full of beer paraphernalia.
2. Monastery Brewery Andechs in Bavaria
Address: Bergstraße 2, 82346 Andechs, Germany
Phone +49 8152 3760
The Andechs Monastery, located on the Holy Mountain above Lake Ammersee in Bavaria, has been a site of pilgrimage and beer culture since the Middle Ages. The brewery tour highlights the rich history of the brewing process while providing access to its state-of-the-art facilities.
Moreover, the monastery includes a church, brewpub, restaurant, butcher shop, distillery, and an organic farm. Throughout the year, it hosts a variety of pilgrimages, performances, and special events, and the church often has organ concerts on summer Sunday afternoons.
3. Erdinger Brewery in Munich
Address: Franz-Brombach-Straße 1, 85435 Erding, Germany
Phone +49 8122 4090
The world’s largest brewer of wheat beer is located in Munich, combining tradition with modern technology. The purest ingredients alongside age-old recipes are processed through a high-tech bottling plant, and the beer is matured in a computer-controlled warehouse.
Consequently, more than one million bottles leave the brewery every day, but you can enjoy your fresh Hefeweizen in the brewery’s beer garden.
3. Weihenstephan Brewery
Address: Alte Akademie 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
Phone +49 8161 5360
The Weihenstephan brewery in Freising, close to Munich, prides itself on being the oldest working brewery in the world. Benedictine monks brewed beer here as early as 1040 A.D.
Moreover, the brewery is most famous for its earthy Weizenbier wheat beer. Travel back in time and learn about the nearly 1000-year-old brewing process of Weihenstephan.
4. Becks Brewery in Bremen
Address: Am Deich 20, 28199 Bremen, Germany
Phone +49 421 50940
World-famous Beck’s beer is crafted along the riverbanks in Bremen, known around the world for its slightly bitter taste. Beck’s and its local version, Haake Beck’s, have been brewed here since 1879. Take a look behind the scenes of the brewery; you can explore the brewing rooms, malt silos, and fermentation tanks, and educate yourself in the Beck’s beer museum. The tour inevitably concludes with a tasting experience.
5. Smoked Beer Brewery in Bamberg
Address: Ob. Königstraße 10, 96052 Bamberg, Germany
Phone +49 951 24304
The charming city of Bamberg in Bavaria boasts 10 breweries and is famous for its amber-colored Rauchbier (smoked beer). One of the most charming breweries is the Spezial Brewery dating back to 1536. Here, you can witness the century-old process of drying malt over an open fire – the secret of the beer’s mild smoked flavor. Enjoy your Rauchbier right then and there: it is only sold within 9 miles of the brewery. There is also a cozy hotel and restaurant on site.
6. Rechenberg Brewery Museum in Saxony
Address: An d. Schanze 3, 09623 Rechenberg-Bienenmühle, Germany
Phone +49 37327 8800
Situated in the German Ore Mountains, the Rechenberg brewery is one of the oldest working breweries in eastern Germany. The preserved historical brewery, overlooked by a hilltop castle, features a brewing room from 1780 complete with original (and still functioning) brewery equipment. Consequently, you can sample fine Pilsner beer in the underground cross-vaulted cellar of the Old Malthouse.
