Day 123 Drink: Wunderburgen Bier Schnapps

Mahr's Brau has been making beer in Bamberg, Germany, since 1602 and the Michel family has run the place since 1895. We had the chance to visit Mahr's Brau back in 2008 and had a delightful lunch, along with a sampling of a range of their beers. If you are lucky enough to get to Franconia, this is a must stop brewery.

In addition to making great beer, the brewery also distills a classic beer schnapps. Wunderburgen Bier Schnapps is named for the Bamberg neighborhood where Mahr's is located. The crystal clear drink is meant to be served warm and is 84 proof. The aroma is slightly reminiscent of Tequila and the flavor offers a wonderful spice quality that lingers and grows.

A Pleasant Lunch at Mahr's Brau

Across the street and just up a couple of buildings from Keesmann is Mahr’s Brau. Founded in 1670, this brewery has been run by the Michel family since the late 1800s. Brewmaster Stephan Michel was nice enough to take us on a walk through of the brewery and sat down to talk beer in Mahr's tavern.

One sign of Mahr's popularity was the constant vehicle traffic during our visit, as locals pulled into the brewery courtyard to buy fresh beer. It is a unique aspect of many German breweries that adjacent to where tractor trailers are being loaded by forklifts, the trunks of personal vehicles are stuffed with a couple of cases of beer straight from the brewery for weekend enjoyment. Nearby, Mahr's traditional pub with its wood fired stove was crowded with regulars looking to warm up and get a good meal to accompany a mid-day brew.

Michel is an interesting guy, a fourth generation formally trained German brewer who also spent time in California during the 1990s. Some of the “California surfer dude” attitude comes through from his days in Santa Barbara. His favorite U.S. beers include Firestone Walker ales, Victory Prima Pils, Samuel Adams Boston Lager, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Red Hook IPA and Santa Barbara Brewing beers. He looks to America as a growth market for the company. Mahr’s already exports to the U.S., but Michel sees bigger opportunities – perhaps by contract brewing at an American brewery.

Michel is a big fan of Hallertauer hops and the flavor characteristics they give to his beer. He believes they lend a “fresh” touch to his beers. Mahr’s also distills traditional beer schnapps. “You drink it warm – at room temperature – after dinner or lunch,” Michel says.

We tried several beers over a lunch of roasted pork shoulder, each with distinct characteristics. Mahr’s Helles is light in body, with a crisp clean hoppy flavor. Mahr’s Festtag’s Weisse is a cloudy amber with upfront banana notes and a touch of cloves. Mahar’s Kellerbier Ungespunder, known to the locals as simply “U” is a lower carbonation beer that has plenty of balanced flavor. E.T.A., a brew commemorating the 200th anniversary of romantic poet Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann’s years in Bamberg is a brown beer with a nice smooth malty flavor.

The Newcomer: Ambrausianum Gasthausbrauerei

We walked across a couple of bridges over branches of the Regnitz, admiring Bamberg’s wonderful architecture along the way, before arriving at Ambrausianum Gasthausbrauerei.

Ambros Michael Mahr’s family has owned the Dominikanerstrasse location for 200 years. For a good part of that time it was rented to distillers who made schnapps. When the last distillery closed in 1955, a series of restaurants took over the location, until Mahr established a brewery in 2004. The newcomer to the Bamberg beer scene has a prime Inselstadt (Islandtown) location and is an easy place to stop as you wander Bamberg.

We tried a sampler – or bierprobe --of three draughts offered at the brewpub, a helles, a wheat beer and a dark lager. While the beers were all nicely put together, it is the Beer Punch that puts Ambrausianum on the Bamberg beer map.

The Beer Punch is a Fall and Winter specialty. As Mahr put it, “We need something hot when the cold comes.”

Starting with a dark lager base and garnished with an orange slice, Ambrausianum’s Beer Punch has many of the characteristics of a mulled cider. I’d be guessing at the exact recipe, since the Mahr family keeps it a secret. At 3 Euro a cup, it certain does a good job warding off the chill of a late October night in Germany.