Hofbraeuhaus
History of Hofbräuhaus
Hofbräuhaus is one of oldest attractions in Munich, and not only that, but it is still welcoming visitors and patrons all over the world. This old and almost majestic brewery is so popular that a rough estimation of its visitors reaches up to an astounding number of thirty thousand foreigners and locals. The fact remains that it is a must see for new comers to Munich, assuming that they are of the right age, of course.
An astounding as it already is, the history that it has behind this wonderful old establishment is still quite interesting, and only adds to its already overwhelming appeal. Going back to a great four centuries of marvelous history, the first ever beer cellar opened to the public.
The Hofbräuhaus was opened by the Duke Wilhelm V in Munich. He wanted to satisfy the thirst and demand of his household help and the visitors through opening it. Because these people did not like the beer that most wine distributors sold in Munich, so they chose to build their own brewery.
At first, the tavern of Hofbräuhaus only produced simple brown ale, but after the son of Wilhelm V took over the place, he chose to make wheat beer. Not long after that decision, the main focus when it comes to the production of the tavern became focused on the beer. The beer products that they made, the wheat beer, were so accepted by the public that the brewers had difficulty when it came to the demands of the customers. The wheat beer that they made tasted so nice that people preferred to buy from them. Not long after, the Hofbräuhaus needed to move to a new location because they needed to produce more beer and to expand their product catering to a wider range of customers, the year was 1607. 1610 came and they made their first beer for the general public.
The formulation of other brew soon came after this decision of expansion. The nineteenth century came, and once again people wanted more from the Hofbräuhaus. A larger location was then again needed, thus they had to find a new home. The prices needed to be adjusted because the mass population could not afford the expensive beer that Hofbräuhaus; and as surprising as it may seem, but the once small and private Hofbräuhaus almost ran the other breweries out of business.
When 1896 came the owner of Hofbräuhaus, the State of Bavaria, decided that Hofbräuhaus was much too small for their patrons. Thus the old tavern was torn down to make way for the bigger and better Hofbräuhaus. The architect who headed the venture was Max Littmann, who was instructed to make a design for the site to be in more traditional Bavarian fashion, which should, however, cater well to the modern crowd. The ingenious design and creation of this architectural master still serves as today’s Hofbräuhaus. People still enjoy over the styles of the building, though it is more of the conventional pattern.
There are three things that have been in complete harmony for the past four hundred years… They are Munich, booze and the ever famous Hofbräuhaus. Their togetherness can be traced back to as early as the 19th century, where the glorious beer cellar was at the heart of Munich, and has been a terribly popular spot to dwell at by the locals of Munich and their thirsty travelers. These visitors come from all over the world, and they are always quite enthusiastic to come across Hofbräuhaus. And who would not be, how cool is it to be able to actually drink from the first ever tavern in the whole world?
Wonderfully tasty beer is its forte of course, but there are also other delightful things inside, such as their traditional food offerings, the extremely popular Gemütlichkeit and the great history of the legendary pub, Hofbräuhaus, is another delightful treat. Locals can’t get enough of telling the story, and the travelers really enjoy hearing it.
Opened every day of the week, and welcoming any customer and mere explorer, this glorious pub is a magnet to everyone who sees it. Even those who are not that too fond of drinking wine are very enchanted with this place. There are around a hundred of waitresses and hard-working waiters ready to serve their customers. They begin working at around seven in the morning, and they open their doors to the general public from as early (or as late to some) as nine in the morning, onwards. The Hofbräuhaus is a home to those who do not have families to celebrate the holidays or special events with, as it is always in business, even on the holidays. Imagine going to this centuries old beer cellar. Peak days and nights are not a problem with this historical place, because they can be of service to an astounding thirty thousand visitors!
As ridiculous as it may seem, but these customers are very much at home in Hofbräuhaus, because they are certified regulars. They feel more at home at the centuries old Hofbräuhaus instead of their emplty houses or apartments, so it is quite understandable.
Almost over a century ago, the warmly called “Schwemme” or the “taproom” is the main tool which contains all the precious brewery equipment the old tavern needs. Every day, the Hofbräuhaus caters to over a thousand guests. There is also an old legend regarding the Hofbräuhaus, where one of the guests were said to be an authentic angel. Quite not the right fit with a beer brewery house, but still a very fascinating legend.
Another thing to add to the already exploding greatness of Hofbräuhaus is the fact that they first food law was made because and for them. The first food law in the whole world was made in Munich. Because the locals of Munich loved experimenting with food so much, and since one of their most basic food stuff is beer, a lot of people died because of these wild experiments. Thus the first regulation when it came to food was regulated.
