Sunday 6th January 2013

Bob Thompson

This is one of the fourteen breweries named Hofbräu. Hof is the Court, so the implication is that these breweries were sanctioned by or approved by a Prince or other nobility. What made them different from the norm is that most in Bavaria owed their origins to the monasteries. Some of these are still closely connected to the church but most became commercial concerns during the period of secularisation in Bavaria at the turn of the 18th and 19th Centuries.

I am presuming the brewery was once located in the middle of town at the rear of the brewery's tap. Nowadays it is to be found just outside what remains of the town walls, at Stadionstrasse 3-9.

The brewery we see here is not very old, yet the company was established in 1879. An interesting facet is that there is a small shop in the buildings. The brewery produces a wide range of interesting bottled beers and it has been suggested that this is the only place you can purchase them. The outlet is open as follows: Monday to Thursday: 07.30 to 12.00; 13.00 to 17.00, Friday: 07.30 to 12.00; 13.00 to 16.00, Saturday: 09.00 to 12.00.

An unusual feature these days is that the brewery has its own maltings.

I have to admit that the Hofbräuhaus in the Stadtplatz was rather a disappointment. It would seem to have been altered fairly recently and is now mostly an Italian Restaurant called La Piazza da Luigi. Of course, it is possible to just have a drink but there is little concession to history as it is decorated in Café Bar style. There is a row of bar stools so I plonked myself on one of them.

The range of beers was not great either, with just two draught offerings: Ur-Helles (5.2%) and Millenium Pils (5.2%).

I had them both and thought the Helles was a good example of the style, without being exceptional but the Pils was superb, being slightly salty and dry.

Note that there is no draught wheat beer. That was only available in bottle and even then only Dunkles-Weizen (dark). They also had a normal dark beer from Hofbräu in bottles.

So, I found this a bit of a strange one to decide on. After deliberation I have included it in BeerVisits because quite simply the Hofbräuhaus was the only place I saw in Abensberg that offered draught beers from this brewery and I thought the two beers that I had were very good. Maybe there is a better pub to consume their beers?

Important Information:

Hofbräuhaus, Stadtplatz 9-13, Abensberg, 93326. Tel: 0944 391 8378

Open: Sunday to Thursday 10.00-01.00; Friday and Saturday 10.00-02.00

The railway station is around ten minutes from the town centre.

There is more one than way to get to the pub but this is probably the easiest as it takes you by the other beery attractions of the town. From the station forecourt you can see Bahnhof Strasse leading away slightly to the right. To make sure you get the right road take the one with the hotel in it.
After a few minutes you will have reached Schulhausplatz.

To the right you will see Römerstrasse and the Kuchlbauer brewery. However, turn left into Ulrichstrasse and you will pass the Ottenbräu brewery and pub on the left.

Just before this turn right into Karmeliten-platz. Go past the Kloster church and then turn left into Stadtplatz and the Hofbräuhaus is on the left. Note the brewery tap of Kuchlbauer is also visible.

On the map below the Stadtsplatz is 1, the Kuchlbauer brewery and tower are 9, the Ottenbräu brewery is a few metres north of 10 and the Hofbräu brewery and shop can be found by the stadium indicated in the top right corner.