Oberfranken's brewery culture

It’s nearly impossible to imagine Switzerland not producing fine chocolates, Italy Chianti or France Camembert. Yet with increasing mass production, these traditional products are being threatened. This is especially true with beer - that beverage synonymous with Germany’s Oktoberfest and outdoor festivals. Food-Travels.com attended the Slow-Bier-Messe hosted by the Oberfranken town of Münchberg, acting to protect its brewery culture.

No place is more famous for its beer worldwide than Bavaria. And no where exist so many breweries in such a small area than the northeastern Bavarian region of Oberfranken, or Upper Franconia. Located between Bamberg and Bayreuth and bordering the Czech Republic, Oberfranken holds the Guinness World Record for the highest density of breweries anywhere in the world.

Here around 200 small breweries are producing a variety of world famous beers. The region also hosts Europe’s oldest beer fermenter. The village of Kasendorf just seven miles from the city of Kulmbach, equally famous for its breweries, has been fermenting beer for over 2,800 years! Whether Pils lagers, helles Weizen, amber Märzen, Dunkel lagers, smoky Rauchbiers, Bockbiers, Doppelbocks, Eisbocks or the Oktoberfest spezial – nearly half of the world’s beer varieties have originated in Bavaria.   

Oberfranken’s geography key

Oberfranken’s prolific beer production is no accident. The area’s Fichtelgebirge mountains were formed by powerful movements of the earth’s crust around 540 million years ago. Four of Europe’s most important rivers - the Main, Eger, Naab, and Saale - cross through these mountains. It’s also helped the region boom in textiles.

This geography is especially important for beer brewing. Much of the mineral water used comes from the region’s many springs buried deep in the earth or the mountain streams. This pure, soft water makes the beer especially unique. Oberfranken even hosts a beer route that takes hikers from one village guesthouse to another, each offering its own local brew. The barley and hops are also grown locally in the mineral-rich soil. Johann Zeitler's privately-owned barley malt factory has helped keep the region producing beer for over 140 years!

All German beer must be brewed in adherence to the Bayerische Reinheitsgebot of 1516, the world’s oldest such brewery regulation. This restrictive law permits only water, barley malt, hops, and yeast to be included in German beer consumed within Germany.

The three-day Slow-Bier-Messe brought together Oberfranken’s traditional brewers and a few food artisans in the small historic towns of Münchberg and Helmbrechts. In addition to the many brewers present, a beer sampling was set-up featuring 50 different Oberfranken beers. These were chosen from the nearly 1000 variations produced by the 180-member organization Bierland Oberfranken e.V. Small glasses were available for the tastings. 

Meeting the brewers

The first brewer we met from the Kulmbacher Kommunbräu brewing cooperative embodied German braukunst. Heiner Türk, a slightly husky man in his mid-forties, was the ideal representative of the Kommunbräu’s passion for beer production. The cooperative started in response to the explosion of a large brewery in the historic beer town of Kulmbach. A small group of townspeople decided to open a guest house and small brewery where they could make traditional, unfiltered beer. With an initial investment of 4,000 DM per person, 274 people came together and formed a brewery now in its 13th year.

The Kommunbräu is clearly proud of its project. In addition to light and dark brews, a new beer variety is introduced monthly reflecting the seasons. The beer is unfiltered and must be consumed within 3-4 weeks of its bottling. It’s no standard beer and every batch has its own unique flavor and style. The water comes from deep mineral-rich springs nearby. The beer’s freshness yields a crisp, clean, almost sweet flavor. This results from the beer spending longer in the Lager or storehouse than mass produced beers. This yields a more “finished” product, less likely to cause headaches.

We also met with the brewery Scherdel which celebrated its 175th jubilee year in 2006 with a special brew. The Scherdel family in the town of Hof was the region’s first brewery to transport their beer to Germany’s northeast regions by oxen. Today 13 varieties are brewed using water from their own springs, 50-80m underground. The Pils is stored for up to 6 weeks before bottling. 

Along with the local newspaper, Scherdel hosts a yearly competition to discover Oberfranken’s most beautiful Maibaum. The centuries-old pagan tradition of the Maibaum or maypole is especially popular in Bavaria. Its decoration is a celebration for the entire village when it’s erected every May 1. The Maibaum is festooned with colored streamers and adorned with shields depicting various people in the town - the baker, butcher, carpenter, electrician, and fireman. It's presented by the Mayor and Parish priest. It's pulled into town by tractor where it’s met with music, local foods, and of course beer.

Like wine, high quality beer is believed to have health benefits. Monks and nuns have traditionally brewed beer in Bavaria’s convents and monasteries since the Middle Ages. Brewer and Franciscan nun in the town of Mallersdorf, Sister Doris prefers the higher-alcohol Doppelbocks she brews through the winter months. She says, “Bier is healthy, as long as you drink in moderation” - good advice as the summer festival season is about to come in full swing around Germany. Zum Wohl! Prost! Cheers!