Munich's Strong Beer Festival

Doppelbock isn't the only style of beer served during Starkbierzeit. For an interesting change of pace, head for Weisses Bräuhaus, a popular destination for those who like to start their evening with a good meal. As the name suggests, it specializes in wheat beers, which Germans often call weiss, or white, beers. This time of year, the brewery pours Starkweizenbier, a dark-colored beer whose pronounced wheat flavor hides a big alcoholic punch. Weisses Bräuhaus is located at Talstrasse 7, in the heart of the pedestrian zone. It's a good starting point for a downtown pub crawl: two Munich institutions, Hofbräuhaus and Augustiner Grossgastsätte, are close by.

Munich's most intriguing strong beer venue is Forschungbrauerei, which means "research brewery" in English. By tradition, it's allowed to start serving its doppelbock, called St. Jakobus, a week before Starkbierzeit officially opens. Forschungbrauerei is a small, family-run establishment whose entire production is consumed on the premises. It's also one of the few remaining places where beer is served in ceramic mugs, which do a better job of keeping beer cold. The brewery is located at Unterhachingerstrasse 76. To get there, take S-Bahn line number 1 to Perlach; it's about a 10-minute walk from the train station.

Starkbierzeit isn't widely publicized, which is just fine with Münchners. It's their time of year to show pride in Bavarian culture and tradition. But don't let the local color scare you away; that's why millions of people visit every year! Bring a good guidebook, a hearty appetite, and a taste for strong Bavarian beer. That'll be enough to earn you a Wilkommen at any beer hall in town.

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