The beer hall isn't a pub - you need to know the ropes if you're going to enjoy yourself properly.
One of the great pleasures of travelling in Germany is drinking the local beer, particularly in summer when the beer gardens are open. But to make the most of your experience you do need to know the ropes; beer halls don't work quite like pubs.
First of all, drinking hours are different. Many beer gardens and beer halls, particularly brewpubs, don't open until the late afternoon during the week, though they may stay open till one in the morning or even later.
Secondly, the regulars are very protective of their space. If you see a brass plaque over a table, don't sit there. The brass plaque isn't there to say ‘Karl Marx drank here’ or commemorate past glories. It marks the table as a Stammtisch, the meeting place of a regular club or group of drinkers.
However, the public tables are there to be shared. Don't feel awkward about heading for free spaces on a table that’s otherwise occupied – just ask if the seats are free (‘frei’) or occupied (‘besetzt’).
How to order your beer depends on the venue. In a beer hall, don't head for the bar – you will be served at the table. In a large beer garden, on the other hand, you may need to head for the central beer pouring point. Pay the cashier first, find a mug, and take the ticket and the mug together to the pourer. Get ready to catch your mug as it slides along the bar – this is speedy pouring, not elegant service!
In beer gardens or at street festivals, you may be asked for a deposit (‘Pfand’) for the mug. Don't forget to take the mug back and reclaim your money.
You may be drinking out of a litre (‘ein Mass’, a measure) or half litre mug (‘ein Halb’), in either glass or earthenware. Although the glass is often called a ‘stein’ in English, in Germany it’s a ‘Krug’ or ‘Seidel’.
Ordering beer is easier than in many pubs, since most beer halls are associated with a single brewery. If you just say ‘a beer’ you’ll usually get a regular lager. But you might also order a weissbier (wheat beer), dunkel (dark), or a radler (shandy – half and half beer and lemonade). You can even order weissbier mixed with coke or Sprite!
Beer gardens allow you to bring your own food, but locals don't often use this privilege. Most beer gardens have a good, if limited, menu. In some beer halls and gardens, various independent concessions offer food. This means you may have to buy your bread at one, butter at another, and roast pork at yet another.
You’ll find salty pretzels everywhere - but as with glasses, there’s a linguistic confusion here; in Germany they’re not called pretzels, they’re called Brezen.
Bavarian snacks include Obatzda and Liptauer spicy cheese spreads, thinly sliced crispy white radish (Radis), and sausage (wurst) usually served with sauerkraut and rye bread. Semmelknoedel, dumplings made with stale bread, are also popular, served with mushroom or meat sauce.
Heartier trenchermen (and women) will enjoy the ‘halb Hend’l’ (half a roast chicken) or Hax’n (pork knuckle). But beware; the portions are huge.
By the way, if you’re going to bring your own food, don't sit at a table with a tablecloth – it means you’ll be served by a waiter with the beer hall’s own snacks.
While the Hofbrauhaus in Munich is probably the best known beer hall, it promotes a rather cheesy version of Bavarian oompah culture and is usually heaving with coach parties. Instead, try the St Emmerams Muhle, a beer garden by the river Isar on the edge of the English Gardens.
Or take a trip 25 miles or so out of Munich to the Andechs monastery with its brewery tap outside. (If you want to taste the fine Andechs beers without going so far, visit the Andechser Hof near the Marienplatz, in the centre of town.)
Of course beer halls and beer gardens aren't limited to Munich. A particular favourite of mine is the Spital beer garden in Regensburg, on the banks of the Danube with a view of the famous Roman bridge. While many beer halls are devoted to boisterous behaviour, this leafy beer garden offers a more relaxing atmosphere.
And finally, remember to greet your fellow drinkers (‘Gruess Gott’) and wish them good health as you clink your glasses (‘Prost!’).
