14 Best Breweries in Munich, Germany

Munich? Beer? Yeah, they have plenty of it. There are a lot of options no doubt. If you have a palette for beer no matter if it’s the same type of beer, you’ll want to ensure that you are drinking the best of the best while you are there. These are the best breweries in Munich to help you prioritize your trip.

Checking out sceneries and various great spots in Munich makes for a great tourist experience, but there’s nothing better than a classic Bavarian beer in Germany.

I’m a beer fan so what better place to go than Munich? I’ve likely developed a massive interest in beer from living in Minneapolis.

In particular, I love European beers and more importantly German-style beer. I love Altbiers, Kolsch and Helles. They are crisp and crushable. During my last trip to Munich, we hit as many breweries as we possibly could.

Best Breweries in Munich, Germany

Schneider Brauhaus

Address: Tal 7, 80331 München, Germany

Schneider Brauhaus is one of the oldest breweries in Munich, so it was our first spot to stop. Located in the heart of it all, the brewery was huge and had a lot of old art.  Schneider is a bit more well-known for its Weiss (White) beer. Beyond the Weiss beer, everything else was pretty good.

Schneider didn’t totally blow me away. It’s a good stopover spot on your way to Hofbrauhaus to check out.

Lowenbrau

Address: Nymphenburger Straße 2 Stiglmaierplatz, 80335 München, Germany

Löwenbräu means Lion Brew. Lowenbrau doesn’t have a much-documented history as the other iconic breweries that you are familiar with. You’ll want to try the URTYP pils beer.

The best way to visit this brewery and beer hall is by visiting Löwenbräukeller, which is a historic restaurant, beer cellar, and event venue. Stop by for great live music, great German food, and good beer.

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Haderner Bräu

Address: Großhaderner Str. 16, 81375 München, Germany

An organic brew house in Munich owned by a family, the beers here are made from local ingredients that are sure to satisfy! The brewery often holds events where they tell you about the beer and background of the brewery while you try beer samples.

The staff here is what really blew us away. The staff is friendly and answered all our questions. The beer was also great, something you can’t get in many places.

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Spaten

Address: Marsstraße 46-48, 80335 München, Germany

If you love Helles, Spaten is the original for it. At the peak of the brewing industry in Munich, Spaten was the largest brewery in the greater Munich area.

After the war, Spaten was never able to make a full comeback. Fast forward to today, Spaten is definitely prevalent in the beer scene.

I’m sure you’ve heard of Franziskaner. They are owned together and the Franziskaner Weißebier is another great choice in addition to the Helles. Visit their traditional German dining at the Spatenhaus an der Opera.

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Hofbräuhaus München

Address: Platzl 9, 80331 München, Germany

Hofbrauhaus? You’ve probably never heard of it, right? Jokes aside, it continues to be a tourist attraction because of the outstanding environment and experience. The Helles is pretty good too.

Hofbrauhaus is a state-owned brewery. It was founded in 1589 by the Duke of Bavaria, Wilhelm V. It is one of the oldest beer halls in Munich and was founded as the brewery of the old Royal Residence, which was just around the corner from where the beer hall stands today.

The beer became extraordinarily popular once the Bavarian Beer Purity Law was enacted in 1516 which stated only natural ingredients could be used in the brewing process.

It’s become a worldwide phenomenon as a place to gather, enjoy beer, and have a good time.  The Hofbräuhaus beer hall is a must-see in the city center near Marienplatz. It’s a historic part of Hitler’s Third Reich tour.

There are actually Hofbrauhaus locations around the world today, in locations such as Melbourne, Bremen, Las Vegas, Chicago, Cleveland, and many others.

If it’s a nice day outside, be sure to visit the Chinese Garden at the English Gardens in Munich. They serve plenty of Hofbrau and it’s a great atmosphere to enjoy the sun and outstanding beer. You can’t go wrong with that view and sunset at the Chinese Garden.

The Hofbrauhaus is one of the most famous breweries and bars in all of Germany, and so is the unique Hofbrau beer served at the bar.

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Paulaner

Address: Kapuzinerpl. 5, 80337 München, Germany

The Paulaner Brauhaus Munich is a brewery, bar, and restaurant located in Munich, Germany. Founded in 1634 by some German friars, Paulaner has since grown into a global brand. It is one of six breweries that provide beer for Munich’s Oktoberfest, and it is also one of the best-selling German beers.

The beers brewed at the Paulaner Brauhaus Munich are brewed in accordance with the German purity law of 1516. Only the best ingredients are used in brewing at the Paulaner. The brewery is particularly famous for its Weissbier, and it brews about six different brands of Weissbier.

There are also certain seasonal beers as well as special Munich beers for Oktoberfest. It’s definitely worth a trip outside of the city center to see this beer hall.

It has a more refreshed touch with a bit more modern interior. I love the traditional copper. The beer tanks feed directly into the taps they are pouring. Who else loves a fresh pour of beer as much as me?

The food at Paulaner is amazing too – we had an awesome dumpling soup and our friends had a meat platter with pork and duck. Both were fantastic and paired well with the beer.

The brewery also organizes other beer-related events like beer tastings and brewing tours for beer enthusiasts. The beer tastings are designed to educate beer enthusiasts on the subtleties of different beers.

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Augustiner

Address: Neuhauser Str. 27, 80331 München, Germany

I absolutely love Augustiner. There are a couple of locations to choose from, but any location will exceed your expectations. Augustiner Stammhaus has an outdoor patio and game area that is really fun when the sun is shining. It’s one of the breweries in Munich that you really can’t get anywhere else. They also serve amazing food!

You can get Hofbrau and Paulaner in a number of locations (it never tastes the same as in Munich), but Augustiner cannot be found outside of Munich.

If you know where to get it, please let me know. Check out these epic day trips from Munich to find other Bavarian breweries, not around the city center.

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Richelbräu

Address: Richelstraße 26, 80634 München, Germany

The Richelbrau is a brewery located in Munich-Neuhausen in Munich, Germany. The brewery has a long history on the Bavarian beer scene and is notable for being the first house brewery in the Munich-Neuhausen district.

The brewery is still run out of the basement of a house, and it is famous for its erotic take on beers with names such as the CasaNova beer. The erotic influence on the Richelbrau is obvious in everything from its logo to the erotic art exhibits that are hung on the walls of one of its rooms.

The Richelbrau serves the CasaNova beer in different types, flavors, and tastes. There are CasaNova beers brewed in true Bavarian fashion and with a taste similar to a Pilsner, for example. And then there are the CasaNova beers with more international influence like American pale ales and so on.

There is a small, cozy tasting room at the Richelbrau and a beer garden where visitors can drink their beer and make small talk or relax in the evenings on weekends. The brewery also organizes home brewing courses for people who want to be able to brew their own beer at home.

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Higgins Ale Works

Address: Karlstraße 120, 80335 München, Germany

Higgins Ale Works is a brewery located in the Maxvordstadt district of Munich, Germany. The brewery was founded by Paul Higgins, an American who was looking to keep up with his passion for craft beer after moving to Germany in 2003. The brewery is a nano-brewery that is dedicated to brewing handcrafted craft beer.

The beers brewed at the Higgins Ale Works are brewed according to the German Purity Law, but they are also new, fresh takes on beer in keeping with craft beer tradition.

True to the American roots of its founder, Higgins Ale Works specializes in producing craft beer that is heavily influenced by American beer tradition. American Pale Ales, Indian Pale Ales, and Cream Ales are all represented in the Higgins Ale Works beer menu.

The unique craft beers are brewed batch by batch and distributed by the brewery. The Higgins Ale Works beers can be found at a couple of locations in Munich, like the CouCou supermarket.

The brewery also hosts several beer-themed events at its brewery and other locations, and the events usually involve a beer tasting for participants. Individuals and organizations can also organize private beer tastings with the brewery should they wish to.

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Hops hacker GmbH & Co. KG

Address: Weißenburger Str. 16, 81667 München, Germany

The open hacker (Hop hacker GmbH & Co. KG) is a craft beer brewery located in Munich, Germany. The brewery was founded by an American, Matt, and his German friend, Werner, in 2013.

Werner had built breweries worldwide and was around when the craft beer scene became popular in the late ’90s. On the other hand, Matt is a true American beer enthusiast who was fascinated by the beers on the German beer scene.

The beers brewed at the hopfen hacker are creative takes on formulas agreed upon by both men. They reflect both the German precision when it comes to brewing and the American flavor that is common to beers like Pale Ales.

They also have pretty unique names like Kill Bill (a top-fermented wheat beer) and The Red (a malt beer in the Marzen style). Other beers on the menu include the IP Brothers (a pale ale beer), the Hand Hopped, the Hemp Flower, and the Smokey Sten.

Beers from the hopfen hacker can be found at several locations around Munich, such as the Ambar Bistro, Tap-House Munich, Taste Tours, Eden Taverns, Trendy drinks Munich, and the Bierothek Munich. Grab one to go with your next meal!

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True Brew Brewing Co.

Address: Dreimühlenstraße 25, 80469 München, Germany

The True Brew Brewing Co. is a microbrewery dedicated to brewing beers with special recipes located in Munich, Germany. The brewery prides itself on building friendships through its unique beers. Each beer brewed is an adventure, and when embarked on together, the bonds between people are strengthened.

To achieve this, True Brew pays careful attention to every process that goes into the brewing process. From the quality of the ingredients down to the creative design of the cans in which the beer is served, every beer is deliberate, intentional, and tastes like heaven.

There are several brands of beer brewed by True Brew, and they come in special arrangements. From Lagers to Indian Pale Ales, several brewing traditions are represented at the brewery. Each beer is named especially with names such as the Hello Exile, Trash Metal Cassette Black, Into The Wild, Upside Down Session, Joyride Pale Ale, Coastline Pale Ale, and so on.

There is also brewery merch available. Beanies, shirts, sticker packs, and even a flashpoint glass are all available at the brewery’s merch store.

There are also discounts when you purchase both merch and beer together.

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Hacker-Pschorr Bräu GmbH

Address: Ohlmüllerstraße 42, 81541 München, Germany

Hacker-Pschorr is one of my favorite Helles beers that you can find around the world. It’s a staple that can be found at certain locations around the world.

The beer at Hacker-Pschorr that I like the most is called the Munich Gold lager.  It is crisp, golden, and flavorful. If you have extra time such as 3 days in Munich, you should definitely venture to the brauhaus.

Hacker-Pschorr is an amalgamation of two breweries, the breweries formerly known as Hacker and Pschorr. The merger occurred in 1972, and the Hacker-Pschorr was officially opened.

The former Hacker brewery was one of Germany’s oldest breweries. It was founded in 1417 and predated the famous German purity law of brewing by 99 years. As one of six breweries located within the city limits of Munich, the Hacker-Pschorr serves its beer at the annual Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich.

With 5.5% alcohol and a naturally cloudy look, the honey gold-colored Hacker-Pschorr Weissbier is probably the most famous beer from Hacker-Pschorr. However, the brewery produces a range of excellent beers, from the malty Munchner Gold beer to the smooth, refreshing Hacker-Pschorr Kellerbier.

A total of 13 different brands of beer are produced by Hacker-Pschorr and sold in its unique swing-top bottles. Hacker-Pschorr also serves a unique gastronomic experience for those who are hungry. Traditional Bavarian dishes are spiced up through the innovations of a head chef and his team and served fresh and hot to go with the beer. Typical menu items include pork knuckle and Obatzda.

See Related: German Oktoberfest 

AND UNION GmbH

Address: Lindwurmstraße 114, 80337 München, Germany

AND UNION GmbH is a brewery located in Munich, Germany. The brewery styles itself as a modernist brewery dedicated to preserving the norms of Bavarian beer-making and its tradition in a fast-paced modern world.

A true fusion of traditional brewing techniques and modern beer sensibilities. According to the German purity law, the brewery produces craft beer containing only yeast, water, malt, and hops.

The beers brewed at the AND UNION are taken through a painstaking process that usually lasts about eight weeks. This is because the brewery brews beer using traditional processes instead of the large-scale, industrialized approach favored by the bigger breweries.

Together with several smaller Munich breweries, the AND UNION is making a case for a carefully crafted beer with lots of flairs and high regard for brewing tradition.

The most popular beers available at the AND UNION are its range of six-can beers with one beer for each day of the week. One of the beers is an alcohol-free beer, two are beers made in the American brewing tradition, and three are authentic Bavarian beers. The six beers are made of two wheat beers, two ales, and two lagers.

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Tilmans Biere (Büro)

Address: Thalkirchner Str. 53, 80337 München, Germany

Tilmans Biere is a brewery and bar located in Munich, Germany. Tilman Ludwig, a German brewmaster after whom the brewery is named, founded the brewery in 2014. Tilman had previously apprenticed under another master brewer and spent two years as brewmaster of the Haas Braui that is located in Switzerland.

After leaving the Haas Braui, Tilman wanted to start his own venture and leave his own unique stamp on the beer scene in Germany. Therefore, on April 23, 2014 – which just so happens to be national beer day – the Tilmans Biere was registered.

The Tilman Biere brewery brews each beer using the very best ingredients and giving a lengthy time for the fermentation and maturation of the beers. The lengthy process enables the ingredients to stand out in the beer and gives it a unique taste.

Several different brands are brewed at Tilman Biere, including the pilsner, the pale ale, the brown ale, and the das helles. Each beer is served in a typical old bottle, but each bottle has its own unique design and its own unique artist to perfectly capture the mood behind the brand of beer in the bottle.

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Guide to Beer in Munich vs Other Regions

SECRET TIP: beer styles vary across different regions of Germany, and you likely will not find one region’s style in another.

For example, the best Dusseldorf beers are altbier, but Cologne is known for its Kolsch. Bavarian beer is a lot different than what you’d see in Dusseldorf, Berlin, Cologne, etc. It’s a different culture and style. In Munich and Bavaria, the following beers are the most popular you will find at the beer halls and breweries:

• Helles: Helles (HELL-US pronunciation) translates to light. It’s a light lager with limited bitterness and is full-bodied. It’s a crushable lager that’s highly refreshing. Perfect for any type of beer drinker.
• Weissbier: This translates into White Beer. It’s a wheat beer that is unfiltered with low bitterness and high carbonation.
• Doppelbock: This beer was created by the Paulaner monks and is a double-fermented copper beer that is described as liquid bread. It has a bit more of a toasty flavor and is higher on the alcohol content side.
• Marzen: Marzen is a dark lager with a smoky flavor. Its dry and caramel flavor makes it hard to drink larger quantities of it.
• Radler: Radler is a great summer beer that features half-lager beer and half lemonade. It was created in the city of Deisenhofen. Perfect for people who don’t like beer all that much prefer ciders, or like a tart beer.

Generally speaking, in Germany, the beer is good but the halls make it even better. And outdoor beer halls or beer gardens make drinking beer an outdoor activity.

It translates into good conversation and fun memories (from what you can gather out of your night). It’s obviously one of the amazing things to do in Munich.

Conclusion

You really can’t go wrong with the various breweries in Munich. All of them provide their own unique flavor and perspective on good company and good fare. Munich has a ton of culture and good fun associated with it. You’ll have a great time. Mix in a few breweries along with some historical spots. Bavaria is a gem. Enjoy.

Related Resources

• Interesting Facts About Germany
• Plan a Trip to Germany
• Must-Try: German Street Food