Munich, Germany - Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower)

A beautiful afternoon at the Chinesischer Turm.

After a few days of visiting castles and hiking in the Alps, we found our way to Munich, the last stop on our Bavarian adventure.  With over 200 beer gardens in the city, how do you choose where to go?  First we went to, arguably, the most famous, the Hofbrauhaus, a raucous indoor/outdoor beer hall with a long history.  Then we popped into a few lesser known and less noteworthy (but all enjoyable) venues.  It wasn't until we made our way to the English Gardens and the Chinesischer Turm beer garden, that I found one I wanted to write about.






This guy is having fun!

 Our time in Munich was limited and we wanted to see as much as we could.  Since it was a glorious summer day, we rented bicycles and spent the entire day maneuvering through the traffic through interesting neighborhoods, down the bike paths of the Lech River and through the wonderful English Gardens.  You can ride for hours through the English Gardens, as it's one of the largest public parks in Europe, located in the center of Munich.  After four solid hours on our bikes we were ready for some refreshments.  We parked our bikes by the beer garden and found a free table under the shade of a large chestnut tree.  The garden is just lovely, with tables set under lush trees and surrounded by grassy lawns and flower beds. In the center is the Chinese Tower, a wooden structure that was constructed around 1790. (It was destroyed during WWII, but was rebuilt shortly after the war.)  The location is nearby the University of Munich, hence a younger crowd frequents the beer garden.  The day we were there, it was not overly crowded, but I was told it is one of the city's largest and can seat up to 8,000 people. Being a traditional beer garden, it was self serve.  My husband went for the beer and I went for some sustenance.

The carriage driver catches a quick beer in between trips. 

What did we have:  The Chinesischer Turm serves Hofbrau beer which is high quality and flavorful.  Since I was really thirsty, I decided to try a radler, which is a helles beer mixed with lemon drink, similar to a British shandy.  Radler means, "one for the bike" and is often drunk as the last drink at the end of a long night of revelry.  It was a good choice for the occasion, but I doubt I'd make it a regular favorite.  Somehow it reminded me of drinking wine coolers, and why dilute that delicious German beer?  My husband chose his favorite, a dunkel and enjoyed every sip.  We ate an interesting combination of bratwurst, purple cabbage, Greek salad, and pretzels.  Don't ask me why, they just all looked great and I walked down the food line and made my selection.  And they were all tasty.  The salads in Germany are made from the freshest ingredients, and did not disappoint.


What was fun:  We loved the kick-back atmosphere of the English Gardens and Chinesischer Turm.  It was such a relaxing atmosphere, we could have sat there all afternoon, drinking beer, watching the folks strolling through the park, and enjoying the gorgeous day.  We were only in Munich for such a short time we wanted to cover a little more territory before we called it a day.  So we turned in our mugs, collecting the required deposit, and made our way back to our bikes.  As I sit writing this review, in our air conditioned home, looking out on a sweltering Georgia afternoon, what I'd give to be back riding bikes and drinking beer in Munich's second largest beer garden.

A Little About Wine and Chocolate

The bride and groom enjoyed their wine. 

Although we clearly focused on beer during this romp through Bavaria, we did not forget our other loves...wine and chocolate.  Matter of fact, I must admit, on a few evenings I got a little "beered out" and switched to a very popular drink in Munich, a aperol spritz which is made from prosecco and aperol, an bright orange aperitif similar to compari.  I first tried one at the wedding reception and enjoyed it.  Later I saw people drinking them in outdoor cafes, restaurants and even beer gardens. I gladly joined in.  We also had some lovely white wine at the wedding reception.  It was 2009 Escherndorfer Lump Silvaner Kabinett trocken (dry).  I was not familiar with Silvaner grapes before drinking this wine, but I discovered they are the third most commonly grown grape in Germany.  The wine tasted like dry Riesling, crisp with a slight fruitiness that I enjoyed so much I drank a few too many glasses.  Ah, the joy of wedding receptions!  




Schuhbecks chocolate shop is tempting.

 Although we did not have many chocolate desserts in Bavaria, we did order a chocolate souffle with vanilla sauce and Johannes berries, at a lovely sidewalk cafe one night. It was quite spectacular, and since I hadn't had any chocolate for a number of days, it was truly appreciated.  We also stopped at Schuhbecks, a sophisticated chocolate shop that features homemade chocolate from Germany and other gourmet brands from Belgium, Switzerland and Italy.  I did a little shopping there and brought back some great chocolate including a sampler box of dark chocolate flavored with spices including cardamon, anise and cinnamon. 
On this trip it was about the beer, but when we return to Germany (and we will!) a drive through wine country and a few more chocolate shops will be on the itinerary. 

You can find great chocolate desserts in Munich.

Bavaria, Germany - Andechs Abbey and Beer Garden




This photo was "borrowed" from Wikipedia. 
Andechs Monestary in all it's glory.

After we arrived in Bavaria, our family and friends highly recommended a trip to Andechs Abbey.  They said it is a MUST for any beer lover. With all the wedding festivities, our time was tight, but we were able to slip away and spend a few hours at Andechs. I'm so glad we didn't miss out on the experience...and the beer!

The colorful beer garden at Andechs Abbey.

Perched up on a hill overlooking the picturesque Ammersee (Ammer lake) sits the Benedictine monastery where monks have been praying and making beer since 1455.  If we had the time, we would have loved to tour the entire monastery, but since we only had a few hours, we knew our priorities.  After a quick tour of the ornate Baroque church, we headed directly to the beer garden.  It has a large indoor beer hall and outdoor garden overlooking the lake.  In both areas, patrons sat on long tables enjoying giant mugs of beer and huge plates of food. Fortunately we were with a large group, including an experienced German traveler who knew the ropes.  It was at Andechs where we learned how a true beer garden works.  There are no servers, you pick up what you want at counters. One line forms near the kitchen area where food is served.  Another line forms by the counter in front of huge kegs of beer. The lines may be long, but due to German efficiency, they move very quickly.  Several people from our party went to pick up the beer, and several went for food.  The mugs are designed so you can carry three, four or even five at a time. We ended up with a table full of  food and drink, undoubtedly some of the best that Germany has to offer.



It's easy to carry four beers.

 What did we have:  Since it was a chilly afternoon, and I tend to pick my beer type by the climate, I chose to drink a half-liter of dunkel (dark ale).  Others selected the traditional helles (blond lager) and the weiss (hefeweiss wheat).  Everyone raved. The beer at Andechs is truly tasty, and beautiful in color, too.  As for food, we had a virtual feast.  We purchased plates of bratwurst, pork ribs and large soft pretzels.  In addition there were bowls of traditional potato salad and sauerkraut. I sampled it all and now I understand why Germans are such hearty folks.  Definitely a stick-to-your-ribs meal. I had to take a long hike the next day to make up for this meal.

The boy was happy with his souvenirs. 

What's fun:  The atmosphere at Andech is truly unique.  First of all, the physical location and the long history makes it truly awe inspiring.  Over the years multitudes have visited the monastery to pray, sometimes in hopes of a miracle cure that reportedly has occurred.  But once you step into the beer garden, it's all festivity and fun. Crowds of locals and tourists alike, enjoying their beer and food in the lively beer hall.  Outside, the garden is surrounded with bright orange geraniums. Patrons sit with their dogs sitting quietly beside them, or in one case, snuggled on an old man's lap. Since the seating is family style, old sit with young, couples next to families, everyone immersed in conversation.  It's the German way, and it's fun.  Also, there is a great gift shop, one like I've never been to before.  Half the shop is dedicated to religious artifacts, a variety of crosses, medals and statues of saints.  The other half has beer steins, bottle openers and bottled beer.  It's really unusual, but since there is something there for every visitors, I bet they make a hefty profit.





Monks have been making beer for years.

 





Bavaria, Germany - The Beer Garden Experience

My husband and I just returned home from ten incredible days in Bavaria, Germany. We attended a family wedding in a picturesque lakeside village, hiked in the foothills of the Alps, visited a few famous castles, and rode bikes through the vibrant city of Munich. All along the way we popped into numerous beer gardens and enjoyed many mugs of tasty German brew. The experience is one I recommend to anyone who appreciates drinking beer in an environment where people love to have fun.


The outside beer garden at the famous Hofbrauhaus.

This is a mas, a standard size beer in Germany. 

The Bavarian Beer Garden experience: German beer gardens come in all shapes and sizes, but have one common denomenator. They serve lots of beer, to lots of folks, in a pleasant outdoor environment. Although we visited many beer drinking establishments on this trip, I'm highlighting four distinctly different beer gardens, three famous, and one not so famous, but all especially fun.
What did we have: We drank every style beer offered at most beer gardens. We ate our share of sausages and consumed a few pretzels.  I did sample some regional white wine, which was very nice, and some extremely good chocolate.
What's fun:  It's all about the friendly crowds, both tourists and locals, the relaxed atmosphere, the excellent service and efficiency (think really clean bathrooms). I imagine it could get pretty rough during Octoberfest, but the week we were there we did not see anything other than moderately happy patrons enjoying their beer and having a good time.  Music, dancing, families, conversation, good times!  

 Additional photos are posted on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Beer-Wine-Chocolate/216204561737432

Schondorf, Germany - The Schondorfer Restaurant


Our adventure began in Schondorf on Ammersee (Ammer Lake) a lovely village about 30 miles from Munich.  Our first venture in German beer drinking was at the local Schondorfer, a restaurant and pub that could barely be considered a beer garden, although they did have a few outdoor tables set up in the shade of some large trees.  Inside, the Schondorfer offered a warm inviting atmosphere, some great beer, and a snapshot of a the local flavor of village life in Bavaria. Our large group enjoyed a hearty meal and numerous mugs of the local beer. The historic restaurant was cozy with soft lighting  and well worn wooden tables.  The crowd was relaxed and mostly local.

Ah...the beer.

What did we have: We had our first taste of Augustiner beer, a favorite of many of the beer drinkers we talked to in Munich.  Among our group, we drank helles (German lager), weis (hefewies with spicy tones), dunkel-weis (a darker, bolder hefeweis) and the dunkel (a dark, smooth, full-bodied ale).  After tasting them all, I knew I was going to enjoy my stay in Germany. The cuisine had a Mediterranean flare, and we ate locally caught fish well prepared with fresh ingredients. It was quite delicious.

What was fun: One of the great reasons to travel is to experience the local flavor of a small town in a foreign land.  It's especially pleasant when the crowd is friendly and convivial, the beer is flowing and the service is excellent. It was a memorable foray into the Bavaria beer drinking experience.
(Coming soon! Andechs Monastery and Beer Garden)