Kitsch love: Hofbräuhaus am Platzl in Munich

A visit to Munich means beer, beer, some wießwurst, maybe a few pretzels and of course, more beer.

And what is more famous than the Hofbräuhaus am Platzl?

History of the Hofbräuhaus

Today, a bit kitschy I suppose, the Hofbräuhaus is a state-owned beer hall located in the city center of Munich. One of the oldest beer halls in Munich, the original idea for the Hofbräuhaus am Platzl is an extension of the Staatliches Hofbräuhaus in München, (Royal Brewery in Munich). Duke Wilhelm V, who was dissatisfied with the beer brewed in Munich at the time, founded the brewery in 1589. In 1607, Duke Maximilian I built a coinciding Weißbeer (wheat beer) brewery on the site of the current one today.

Though the original location is in Munich, you can find halls doting the famous Hofbräuhaus label all throughout Germany, and worldwide with location in the U.S. and Australia.

This video also gives a brief overview of the history of the Hofbräuhaus.

Fun Facts About the Hofbräuhaus am Platzl in Munich

• As part of tradition, some regulars pay not with cash or coins, but instead beer tokens. This dates back to the historical times when the duke was in charge of the beer hall. If a regular buys ten tokens at once, they get the eleventh for free!

• One of the most common (and delicious) things to eat at the Hofbräuhaus is the famous Weißwurst, a sausage made from veal or pork and seasoned with various spices. If you placed all of the Weißwurst consumed at the Hofbräuhaus am Platzl during one year end to end, it would cover a distance of 20 kilometers!

• In the winter of 1823, the National Theater of Munich caught fire, with potential to be completely destroyed because the fire brigade’s water had frozen. The nearby breweries, including the Hofbräuhaus bought over beer in large barrels- dousing the flames and saving the opera house.

Today, the Hofbräuhaus is actually one of my favorite places to go, even though it is super touristy and rather expensive. Despite the popularity, the quality of the food and the beer is so delicious!

Favorite Food and Drink From the Hofbräuhaus

Some of my favorite things to eat there include Obatzda, a Bavarian cheese dip (also available in the other parts of Germany during Oktoberfest season), Schweinshaxe, a whole roasted knuckle of pork, served with super yummy potato dumplings and, of course, the Weißwurst, which comes with a sweet mustard.

Then, I can’t forget about the star of the show- the beer! The beer comes in liter steins, which means you better get to the Hofbräuhaus thirsty. All beer is brewed according the Bavarian Beer Purity Law (the same as at the official Oktoberfest) and has been for the past 400 years. The only ingredients allowed are barley, hops and water, in order to maintain a natural, quality taste.

What’s also really cool about the Hofbräuhaus is there is live bands playing the traditional music. It opens everyday (including Christmas) at 9 a.m. on. So you can literally eat, drink and dance the day and night away!

[Hofbräuhaus.de]

Featured image from Benjamin Vander Steen via Flickr.