Hofbrauhaus Freising Urhell: Typically Wonderful
Abv 4.9%
Talk about a tough historical break: Dating from 1160, Hofbrauhaus Freising is probably the third oldest brewery in the world, but it’s only the second oldest in its small town of Freising. It hasn’t been an easy century; crosstown Weihenstephan is globally known and has the power of the State of Bavaria behind it.
Hofbrauhaus Freising, however, has produced good beers and, with a couple of smart acquisitions along the way, developed a local following that seems to exceed that of its older rival.
Its location is easier to reach from town, the setting of its beer garden is really attractive, and the beers are very affordable.
The beer garden suffered a decline in popularity a few years back when the Keller owner (breweries often don’t own or operate their associated beer gardens) banned the traditional practice of bringing food from outside into the garden. New owners quickly rescinded the rule and the locals returned promptly.
A true Keller, beer used to be kept under the shade of the garden’s trees.
The garden is of modest size by Munich standards, no more than 800 seats. Most of the seats are in a truly attractive almost garden setting with self-service beer and food. Food choices are less than at the larger gardens, but quite sufficient to accompany a lovely afternoon of drinking.
Tasting notes: Grainy and chewy malt but clean with <just> enough noble hops to balance and keep it drinking easy though an evening. Comfortable in its own stein. It’s not quite a world classic but, but it surely is a new good friend. (picture from http://www.hofbrauhaus-freising.de/hofbrauhaus-freising.html)
Food Pairings: It’s a mainstay at beer gardens and brings out the best in typical garden foods: sausages, roast chicken and massive pretzels all work well, but it will provide a clean backdrop for any food that isn’t overly spicy. [Beer Review # 0121 20170918]
NEXT WE’LL FEATURE ONE MORE LOOK AT HOFBRAUHAUS FREISING’S EXCELLENT BEER
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