This was my first visit to Munich and I had one motivation: to find good German beer. I wanted to experience the German culture first hand. I knew exactly where I could do it, the most famous beer hall in the world, The Hofbrauhaus. I was traveling with my boyfriend who had similar intentions. Shivering in my light jacket, I smiled when I stepped into the warm beer hall.
I was taken back by the size of it as the beer hall covers nearly a whole city block. Its high ceilings supported by massive wooden beams run along the ceiling. Old wooden floors were worn down by years of drunken traffic. Despite its massive size, the Hofbrauhaus manages to have a cozy, intimate feel. Thick wooden tables line up end to end throughout the restaurant. Smells of comfort food wafted out from the kitchen. The plump waitresses hustled up and down the aisles delivering mugs of beer to thirsty customers. Suddenly, it came to my attention; nearly all the tables were full! It was a Tuesday night in Munich, yet there was no lack of willing beer drinkers. We had certainly come to the right place.
In the center of the hall, a small band assembled that consisted of five men, dressed in lederhosen. They sat with their instruments: horns, accordion, drums and bells. “Oom pah pah, oom pah pah” The band set the tone for the night.
As we walked through the main room we encountered a large wooden staircase which led us to the next level of the hall. The second floor was just as lively as the first. People moving around toting their oversized mugs filled with various types of beer. We stumbled upon a medium-sized room. As we made our way inside, overweight German woman approached us and muttered something in her native tongue, unrecognizable to our foreign ears. She wore a long, flowing denim skirt. Her flowery blouse was covered by a cream colored apron. She wore her hair in a tight bun with not a single hair out of place. She led us to a long wooden table. The back of each chair was intricately engraved with the HB symbol of the Hofbrauhaus. We quickly realized we had found ourselves at a German buffet! It was my version of heaven. All the sausages and sauerkraut I could want.
As we sat down, I instantly noticed the oversized pretzels sitting in a basket on our table. Warm to the touch, they were the best pretzels I had ever tasted. Warm and salty, they would perfectly complement the beer. Scanning over the extensive beer menu, the options were endless. Who ever knew there were this many different varieties of beer? Without hesitation, I selected the Hofbrauhaus Original beer. As the waitress brought our drinks to the table, I was convinced she made a mistake. “Oh no, this huge mug of beer could not be for little old’ me!” However, I was
wrong. It is one size fits all here in this historic beer hall. They only serve beer by the liter. If you want to drink among the Germans, you must learn to drink like one. The beer was transparent and amber in color. A white cap of foam topped the mug. I flexed my small arms as I struggled to bring the giant mug to my lips. The beer was light and ice cold. I was pleased to find out it was one of the lighter beers they offered. It was the perfect thing to wash my pretzel down with.
As I swallowed my beer, the waitress escorted a large German couple to our table. Although we were seated at the end of a very long, empty table, they were seated directly next to us. I scanned the room, realizing there were numerous other vacant tables available. However, the waitress brought them directly next to us. I later learned this was an experience of the German culture. Here, it is not uncommon for strangers to be seated together. We were more than willing to spend our night learning first hand from the locals.
Shortly after the waitresses began preparing the buffet, a line formed. We made our way to the back. I was the smallest person there. We were surrounded by buffet veterans. Plump and serving themselves two plates at a time. As I passed through the buffet line, I discovered an array of classic home-style comfort food. I had been craving this cuisine ever since I left home more than two months prior. It was also a nice variation from the pasta and carbohydrates we are smothered with in Italy, where I had been studying abroad.
The Bavarian Buffet offered a large variety of fresh vegetables and makings for a salad, sausages, different versions of sauerkraut, rice, macaroni and cheese, and mashed potatoes. We filled out plates and headed back to our table.
As we sat down, a small group of men entered the room dressed in classic German attire. Embroidered lederhosen and German hats, complete with a feather, gave the impression they were straight out of a German history book. They assembled behind their instruments and began to play for us. The live music completely changed the environment of the room. We were tapping our feet as we stuffed ourselves. Everyone in the room smiled and clapped along with the music. It seemed to bring everyone together. I felt completely immersed in the local culture.
Suddenly, two couples also dressed in classic German attire danced their way into the room. The men making their appearance known clapped and shouted as they entered. The couples put on a show for us as the women twirled in circles and danced to the music in front of the room. Throughout the night, their performance turned into a variety show as they introduced other talents such as bell ringing and yodeling.
The combination of beer, pretzels, sausages and classic German entertainment was the perfect storm for an ideal cultural experience in Munich.
After dinner, an elderly man approached us and introduced himself as Wendell. He had a hint of a German accent but spoke fluent English. His rounded belly and plump cheeks gave him a jolly appearance. He sat down and was eager to share his story with us. As we ordered another round of beer, we found out Wendell was born in Munich but that he and his wife had moved to the United States to raise their children. They were now back in their homeland of Munich to retire. After we all introduced ourselves with a brief history, he invited us on a tour of the Hofbrauhaus. He explained his wife was related to one of the owners and we would receive our own personal tour. Without hesitation, we grabbed our mugs and were on our way.
We walked through the halls, peering into each room. This made me realize the magnitude of this huge place. Our guide informed us that average attendance on a weekday here in the Hofbrauhaus is 2,000 people. On the weekends, the beer hall can expect upwards of 20,000 people. This was easily apparent tonight because the tables were filled with people. I stumbled as I attempted to calculate the annual revenue of the hall. With each beer costing at least six euro, I had already had two, not to mention the costs of food and merchandise. It was incredible.
Walking through the halls, we learned the Hofbrauhaus has an extensive history dating back to the 1600’s. This hall is where locals of Munich have gathered to hold meetings and socialize for centuries. In fact, Hitler started the Nazi revolution in this beer hall. He continued to hold meetings here for years, spreading his ideals over liters of the Hofbrauhaus lager. Because of this, the hall was bombed several times throughout the war and most of it had to be rebuilt.
We continued our tour of the main hall and I noticed a floor to ceiling rack of locks. After questioning our tour guide, I found out the regulars of the hall have a special place for their mugs. Someone can gain the title of a regular by attending the Hofbrauhaus at least two times each week. Once you earn the title of a regular, you can put your name on a waiting list to lock your mug up here. With this, a German beer lover has the ability to come to the beer hall and unlock their personal mug and drink out of it whenever they come. However, at this time the waiting list is at least five years long.
“If there is such a long wait list to lock up your mug, how come there are so many empty spaces?” I questioned our tour guide. “That’s because they’re all here drinking right now!” Astonished, I realized how frequently these men must attend.
For centuries, the Hofbrauhaus has brought people together over the German pastime of drinking beer. The warm atmosphere serves as an ideal way to escape the cold German winters and experience the quintessential culture of Munich as it has been for centuries.
Clair Wenzel, a University of Kansas journalism student from Minneapolis, studied in the CIMBA undergraduate program in spring, 2009.
I was taken back by the size of it as the beer hall covers nearly a whole city block. Its high ceilings supported by massive wooden beams run along the ceiling. Old wooden floors were worn down by years of drunken traffic. Despite its massive size, the Hofbrauhaus manages to have a cozy, intimate feel. Thick wooden tables line up end to end throughout the restaurant. Smells of comfort food wafted out from the kitchen. The plump waitresses hustled up and down the aisles delivering mugs of beer to thirsty customers. Suddenly, it came to my attention; nearly all the tables were full! It was a Tuesday night in Munich, yet there was no lack of willing beer drinkers. We had certainly come to the right place.
In the center of the hall, a small band assembled that consisted of five men, dressed in lederhosen. They sat with their instruments: horns, accordion, drums and bells. “Oom pah pah, oom pah pah” The band set the tone for the night.
As we walked through the main room we encountered a large wooden staircase which led us to the next level of the hall. The second floor was just as lively as the first. People moving around toting their oversized mugs filled with various types of beer. We stumbled upon a medium-sized room. As we made our way inside, overweight German woman approached us and muttered something in her native tongue, unrecognizable to our foreign ears. She wore a long, flowing denim skirt. Her flowery blouse was covered by a cream colored apron. She wore her hair in a tight bun with not a single hair out of place. She led us to a long wooden table. The back of each chair was intricately engraved with the HB symbol of the Hofbrauhaus. We quickly realized we had found ourselves at a German buffet! It was my version of heaven. All the sausages and sauerkraut I could want.
As we sat down, I instantly noticed the oversized pretzels sitting in a basket on our table. Warm to the touch, they were the best pretzels I had ever tasted. Warm and salty, they would perfectly complement the beer. Scanning over the extensive beer menu, the options were endless. Who ever knew there were this many different varieties of beer? Without hesitation, I selected the Hofbrauhaus Original beer. As the waitress brought our drinks to the table, I was convinced she made a mistake. “Oh no, this huge mug of beer could not be for little old’ me!” However, I was
wrong. It is one size fits all here in this historic beer hall. They only serve beer by the liter. If you want to drink among the Germans, you must learn to drink like one. The beer was transparent and amber in color. A white cap of foam topped the mug. I flexed my small arms as I struggled to bring the giant mug to my lips. The beer was light and ice cold. I was pleased to find out it was one of the lighter beers they offered. It was the perfect thing to wash my pretzel down with.As I swallowed my beer, the waitress escorted a large German couple to our table. Although we were seated at the end of a very long, empty table, they were seated directly next to us. I scanned the room, realizing there were numerous other vacant tables available. However, the waitress brought them directly next to us. I later learned this was an experience of the German culture. Here, it is not uncommon for strangers to be seated together. We were more than willing to spend our night learning first hand from the locals.
Shortly after the waitresses began preparing the buffet, a line formed. We made our way to the back. I was the smallest person there. We were surrounded by buffet veterans. Plump and serving themselves two plates at a time. As I passed through the buffet line, I discovered an array of classic home-style comfort food. I had been craving this cuisine ever since I left home more than two months prior. It was also a nice variation from the pasta and carbohydrates we are smothered with in Italy, where I had been studying abroad.
The Bavarian Buffet offered a large variety of fresh vegetables and makings for a salad, sausages, different versions of sauerkraut, rice, macaroni and cheese, and mashed potatoes. We filled out plates and headed back to our table.
As we sat down, a small group of men entered the room dressed in classic German attire. Embroidered lederhosen and German hats, complete with a feather, gave the impression they were straight out of a German history book. They assembled behind their instruments and began to play for us. The live music completely changed the environment of the room. We were tapping our feet as we stuffed ourselves. Everyone in the room smiled and clapped along with the music. It seemed to bring everyone together. I felt completely immersed in the local culture.
Suddenly, two couples also dressed in classic German attire danced their way into the room. The men making their appearance known clapped and shouted as they entered. The couples put on a show for us as the women twirled in circles and danced to the music in front of the room. Throughout the night, their performance turned into a variety show as they introduced other talents such as bell ringing and yodeling.
The combination of beer, pretzels, sausages and classic German entertainment was the perfect storm for an ideal cultural experience in Munich.
After dinner, an elderly man approached us and introduced himself as Wendell. He had a hint of a German accent but spoke fluent English. His rounded belly and plump cheeks gave him a jolly appearance. He sat down and was eager to share his story with us. As we ordered another round of beer, we found out Wendell was born in Munich but that he and his wife had moved to the United States to raise their children. They were now back in their homeland of Munich to retire. After we all introduced ourselves with a brief history, he invited us on a tour of the Hofbrauhaus. He explained his wife was related to one of the owners and we would receive our own personal tour. Without hesitation, we grabbed our mugs and were on our way.
We walked through the halls, peering into each room. This made me realize the magnitude of this huge place. Our guide informed us that average attendance on a weekday here in the Hofbrauhaus is 2,000 people. On the weekends, the beer hall can expect upwards of 20,000 people. This was easily apparent tonight because the tables were filled with people. I stumbled as I attempted to calculate the annual revenue of the hall. With each beer costing at least six euro, I had already had two, not to mention the costs of food and merchandise. It was incredible.
Walking through the halls, we learned the Hofbrauhaus has an extensive history dating back to the 1600’s. This hall is where locals of Munich have gathered to hold meetings and socialize for centuries. In fact, Hitler started the Nazi revolution in this beer hall. He continued to hold meetings here for years, spreading his ideals over liters of the Hofbrauhaus lager. Because of this, the hall was bombed several times throughout the war and most of it had to be rebuilt.
We continued our tour of the main hall and I noticed a floor to ceiling rack of locks. After questioning our tour guide, I found out the regulars of the hall have a special place for their mugs. Someone can gain the title of a regular by attending the Hofbrauhaus at least two times each week. Once you earn the title of a regular, you can put your name on a waiting list to lock your mug up here. With this, a German beer lover has the ability to come to the beer hall and unlock their personal mug and drink out of it whenever they come. However, at this time the waiting list is at least five years long.
“If there is such a long wait list to lock up your mug, how come there are so many empty spaces?” I questioned our tour guide. “That’s because they’re all here drinking right now!” Astonished, I realized how frequently these men must attend.
For centuries, the Hofbrauhaus has brought people together over the German pastime of drinking beer. The warm atmosphere serves as an ideal way to escape the cold German winters and experience the quintessential culture of Munich as it has been for centuries.
Clair Wenzel, a University of Kansas journalism student from Minneapolis, studied in the CIMBA undergraduate program in spring, 2009.
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