Gasthof Weinbrücke, Kulmbach"It's not far. And there are a couple of pubs on the way."
You know something? I should by now have learnt to be more sceptical when Mike says stuff like this. Of course, there were no bloody pubs on the way. There was barely a footpath. I'm not sure what the point was in getting off at Mainleus. Nothing more than the fact Mike had noticed it was marginally closer to our hotel than Kulmbach station. Except that at Kulmbach they have taxis.
Mike hadn't bothered with anything as superfluous as a map. He had to ask the way several times. A triumph of forward planning. We only made a couple of uphill diversions.
One bit of good news. The hotel has interweb in the rooms. For me at least. Not wifi. It's done through the mains. Bad news for Mike, though. He has a crappy Apple device that doesn't have an ethernet port. Ha, ha. Serves him right for forcing me on that forced march.
They haven't got the big screen working in time for kickoff, so I start watching England USA in my room. England score after just a few minutes. A bit like in 1982 against France. Not a reassuring thought. Happily I'm fiddling with my fliptop when the USA equalise. It makes me glad the big screen wasn't working.
Mike knocks on the door. "The big screen is on now."
We watch the second half in the bar. I wish there hadn't been a television in the hotel at all. Why do I waste emotional energy on these overpaid wankers?
I don't feel much like staying up late. Beers, football. Equally uninspiring.
Ron, one thing I've been wondering, in small gasthauses and other bars and pubs there, is there a bottled selection alongside the draught? Does that offer any relief when the tap beer is not of interest?
ReplyDeleteGary
Gary, they usually have a couple of bottled beers. Usually Weizens, sometimes a Schwarzbier or a Dunkles.
ReplyDelete..That's why its good to avoid Kulmbach for beer...
ReplyDeleteThe "Kommunbräu" is ok-ish, but not overly good.
In the region, Haberstumpf in Trebgast is really inspiring.
If the tap beer is not of interest, you are generally screwed..
Most of it comes from one brewery..
I was really surprised though: I made a pub crawl in Erlangen, and they have lots of bars which sell different beers from all over franconia, one even had 3 tapped beers and 40+ bottled ones...thats very very rare for franconia..
one had changing specialty beers, and they had hoffmann dunkles, really an exceptional beer, though priced at 2.50€.......
Elektrolurch, the next installment is Kulmbach to Trebgast.
ReplyDeleteThat's why its best to avoid Kulmbach for beer... Kommunbräu is ok, but nothing too special. In the region, trebgast is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteGary, in Erlangen for instance, i was really surprised: some pubs had 40+ bottled beers and 3 tap beers, and some real gems like hoffmann dunkles export.....
"Why do I waste emotional energy on these overpaid wankers?"
ReplyDeleteOr as my fellow Irish Mancunian Morrissey put it:
"In my life
Why do I give valuable time
To people who don't care if I live or die ?"
A verse that applies to so much more than football...
I'm going to Bavaria myself for the first time in a fortnight, stopping in Munich but planning a trip out to Aying.
Matt, there are some great pubs in Munich itself. Including an Ayinger one opposite the Hofbräuhaus. It has Helles from the wood. Very nice. And really good schnapps, also made by Ayinger.
ReplyDeleteWeisses Brauhaus and Augustiner Grossgaststätte are definitely worth a visit.
If you haven't already seen it, this Munich pub guide is pretty good:
http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/munipubs.htm
Elektrolurch, Hoffmann Export. Now there's a beer. And Hohenschwärz is a great little village.
ReplyDelete"If you haven't already seen it, this Munich pub guide is pretty good:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.europeanbeerguide.net/munipubs.htm"
Ron, it's far better than good, it's excellent! I purchased before my trip to Munich this past November. I highly recommend it! I especially enjoyed the visit to Isar Brãu.
Paul
Interesting that some bars in Franconia specialise in a regional selection. I understand the concept of a beer specialty pub (in the sense noted) in Germany is relatively new.
ReplyDeleteGary
Yes Ron, I've seen the guide. I've also got a copy of Trips South.
ReplyDeleteOut of interest, do you know if the brewery in Aying serves beer from the wood and if the one on the Platzl does all day? I've already got a running order in Munich of the Augustinerkeller, Großgaststätte and Der Pschorr.
Matt, we were in the Ayinger pub on Platzl early afternoon and they were serving from the cask. I didn't see any notice about them only serving from it for part of the day, which is the case in Augustiner Grossgaststätte, Nürnberger Bratwurstglöckl an a couple of others.
ReplyDeleteI've not been to the Ayinger place in Aying so I can't see if they have beer from the wood.
My biggest disappointment when in Munich the other week was the rain. It meant we couldn't visit Augustinerkeller.
Matt,
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in the Ayinger pub that Ron is talking about not to long ago they put something special on tap at 5pm most days. Thursday was the day for the very special something from wood served by gravity.
We were in Ayinger at 13:00 on Saturday. That's the thing about being an obsessive. You take notes.
ReplyDeleteHow was that conference thingy, BTW, Kristen?
Ron,
ReplyDeleteRe the conference, went really well. Had a bunch of stuff for people to taste that read your blog and the Lets Brew regularly that we have done recipes for. Tons of great questions.
Pete Brown and Martyn Cornell owe me a copy of their books. I used them as good examples of 'history' done right. Chop chop you two!!!
Touched a bit on gyling which could have been a talk on its own. Tons of emails after the fact also with requests for stuff for us to do...as if I need more people giving me lists when I can't finish the wife's.
Kris's talk went very well, although you had to listen very fast. ;-)
ReplyDeleteHis Truman's 1890 Imperial, Double and Single Stouts (from the Let's Brew Wednesday a couple of weeks ago) were quite tasty and inspiring. Just yesterday I brewed an SS more or less from that recipe, but without the multiple gyles. I still haven't got my head around that process.
Certainly, Kristen, email me your address …
ReplyDelete