Beer in Bamberg

What could be more enchanting than Bamberg’s cathedrals, castles, and rose garden? For some visitors, its beer.

Bamberg’s historic breweries craft over 50 types of beer, most notably the regional specialty of Rauchbier (smoke beer). An acquired taste for the uninitiated, this dark beer tastes like it sounds, like smoke. This is due to the unusual malting process where grains are smoked over a beechwood fire which is still present when it is transformed into beer.

If you prefer a lighter taste, Bamberg’s plethora of microbreweries frees it from the regional constraints of many other German cities. Where the North generally offers pilsners and Bavaria has a slew of Hefeweizens, there is a beer of every flavor in Bamberg. However, the traditional breweries usually only offer two to three beers on tap at a time, so sample a seidla of beer (0.5 litre)

• Kellerbier - Unfiltered and hoppy, this is usually served straight from the barrel into stone mugs.
• Zwickelbier - Similar to Kellerbier, the difference is that the beer was taken from a small tap on the maturation tank and appears hazy.
• Vollbier - Malty with a color that ranges from light gold to almost black.
• Bockbier - A heavy seasonal beer that appears in the autumn.
• Fastenbier - Only offered during Lent, this beer offers a mixture of light and smoked malt.
• Schwarzbier (Black beer) - A dark, malty lager beer that is bottom-fermented.

While each brewery offers a different atmosphere, expect to drink in the region’s Bierkeller (beer cellar). The name is a bit of a misnomer as Bamberg Bierkellers actually appear more like beer gardens. Sit "auf dem Keller" in the outdoor hillside seating which take advantage of the views of the quaint town and river, while the brewing and storage rooms are kept cool in the Keller.

In addition to the breweries in town, there are an estimated 300 breweries in the neighboring towns. Few places in the world have the density of breweries as found around Bamberg. So get out there, get drinking and explore.

The Bamberg Tourist Office (Geyerswörthstraße 5, 96047 Bamberg; Tel: +49(0)951/2976-2005) offers a map to tour the many different breweries, or you can simply follow our recommendations.