Best Beer Experiences In Europe

[jackmc]

On Sunday, I'm flying to Europe for a few months of traveling.

I'm looking for recommendations on the best beer stuff to see/do.

Any favourite pubs/breweries? I have a few things lined up already, I'll keep them to myself until I hear everyone's recommendations though

 

[petesbrew]

On Sunday, I'm flying to Europe for a few months of traveling.

I'm looking for recommendations on the best beer stuff to see/do.

Any favourite pubs/breweries? I have a few things lined up already, I'll keep them to myself until I hear everyone's recommendations though

Nothing like leaving it to the last minute!

Heineken Factory/museum, Amsterdam - heard it's good. It was closed when we were there.
Guinness Museum, Dublin - Fantastic
Cantillon Gueze Brewery, Brussels, Belgium - self guided tour for some very sour lambics. A real eye opener if you're a noob to the beer world. (as I was)
Brugge, Belgium - YOU HAVE TO VISIT THIS TOWN. Disneyland for beer.
Augustiner Biergarten, Salzburg, Austria - on the other side of the hill from the fortress.
English pubs for a hand pulled pint.

I'll let you do the googling for addresses/directions.

Need I add, try every different beer you come across?

 

[devo]

Prague :icon_drool2:

 

[Ronin]

Brugge, Belgium - YOU HAVE TO VISIT THIS TOWN. Disneyland for beer.

+1 for Brugge.

More specifically Cambrinus Bar in Brugge, or the Beer Temple for take away beers. 400 Beers on the menu :icon_drool2:

There's also a tour of de halve maan brewery in brugge that's worth your while. The only place where beer is still brewer in the town. It's pretty decent beer too.

I think there's also a Cambrinus in Brussels. Can't imagine Brussels being a prettier place than Brugge though.

James

 

[cdbrown]

Any of the bars in Brussels - amazing to see the beer list with each one having it's own style of glass
St James Gate Brewery tour - Guinness in Dublin, then enjoy a few pints at various pubs around the town. While there you might as well do the Jamesons Whiskey tour as well.
Enjoy some Ojusko Pivo in Croatia
Great choices in Czech Republic - Cesky Krumlov was one of my favourite places, Eggenberg brewery - didn't enjoy the tour, but did enjoy the beer
Hofbrauhaus in Munich for great drinking, great food and great fun. Man I could go a pork knuckle and a stein of lager right now!
Any of the local ales on the beer engine in english pubs
Porto in Portugal for some nice port and really friendly people.
San Sebastian in Spain has a great pub culture and Pintxos (great bar food)

Can I come along?

 

[eamonnfoley]

Noticed a lot of you are quoting the major tourist traps (no offense, some of them are good), i.e. Hofbrauhaus, Heineken, Guinness etc.

How about places like Augustiner Brau in Munich, Mahrs&Fassla&Spezial in Bamberg, Zum Uerige in Dusseldorf, Muehlen&Paffgen in Cologne, Kulminator in Antwerp. These are the sorts of places that will really leave an impression on you!

 

[danbeer]

Noticed a lot of you are quoting the major tourist traps (no offense, some of them are good), i.e. Hofbrauhaus, Heineken, Guinness etc.

How about places like Augustiner Brau in Munich, Mahrs&Fassla&Spezial in Bamberg, Zum Uerige in Dusseldorf, Muehlen&Paffgen in Cologne, Kulminator in Antwerp. These are the sorts of places that will really leave an impression on you!

The Hobrahaus in Munich is a dingy touristy **** hole. Avoid it like the plague. Either of the Augustine halls, or the beer garden are much nicer.
Actually, there are several really good beer halls in Munich, it's just the hofbrahaus isn't one of them.
(You may find otherwise, depending on your tolerance for drunken tourist yobs)

If you're in munich in summer, the two beer gardens in the Englisher garten are worth a look. Nice! :icon_chickcheers:

Also +1 to the Augustiner Braustubl in Salzburg. (no relation to the ones in Munich) It has my favorite food hall of all time. (Full of german beer-appropriate foods and snacks! :icon_drool2: )

the Guinness tour is also a bit lite - not a tour of the brewery, just the museum with some brewing dioramas. Worth it for the beer (and the view) at the bar at the end tho.

Brugee is lovely, and hell I miss being able to get a proper hand pulled pint at an English pub. - with these, avoid ones with the wooden floors (as opposed to having carpet).

 

[stueywhytcross]

On Sunday, I'm flying to Europe for a few months of traveling.

I'm looking for recommendations on the best beer stuff to see/do.

Any favourite pubs/breweries? I have a few things lined up already, I'll keep them to myself until I hear everyone's recommendations though

brugge and ghent

 

[jackmc]

Wow, thanks for all the quick responses - lots of good tips here. :beer:

I will go to a few of the touristy places, but I'd prefer to find places that are off the beaten track. An exception to this is Oktoberfest, which I will be in Munich for :chug:

Cities I'm staying in:

London
Dublin
Edinburgh
Paris
Nice
Cinque Terre
Venice
Rome
Athens
Santorini
Istanbul
Bucharest
Budapest
Zagreb
Dubrovnik
Vienna
Prague
Salzburg
Munich
Berlin
Amsterdam
Brussels

We'll also do day trips out of these cities.

Keep the suggestions flowing, I'll keep checking back

 

[bconnery]

In Amsterdam it is worth seeking out t'IJ brewery. Out of the city centre a little but very nice beer and a good atmosphere.

As for the rest, what they said.

Cantillon was a real experience for me as well.

With regards to touristy places by all means pick and choose but I always say it is worth remembering that some places are full of tourists because they are amazing places and shouldn't be missed just because everybody else goes there too...

I'd rate Oktoberfest as one of those. Avoid the Hofbrau tent in the first week and you'll be all good...(Please note: opinion based on one visit 9 years ago )

 

[O'Henry]

...Brugee is lovely, and hell I miss being able to get a proper hand pulled pint at an English pub. - with these, avoid ones with the wooden floors (as opposed to having carpet).

Why avoid the ones with wooden floors and go for the carpet?

 

[danbeer]

Wow, thanks for all the quick responses - lots of good tips here. :beer:

I will go to a few of the touristy places, but I'd prefer to find places that are off the beaten track. An exception to this is Oktoberfest, which I will be in Munich for :chug:

If you're at all interested in brewing, and going to be in Munich the week before oktoberfest, get yourself to drinktec.

Fun times! All the shiny brewing equipment and associated bits you could ever want to see, and free beer.
(I'm a little dark that I won't be able to get to this one :angry: - it's like the olympics of the beverage trade show world)

 

[danbeer]

[quote name='O'Henry' post='487920' date='Jul 7 2009, 02:15 PM']Why avoid the ones with wooden floors and go for the carpet?[/quote]


Yeah, often a pretty good indicator of the type of crowd they get in there. Carpeted ones tend to be a little more civilized than the rowdy ones where they need hard mop-able floors.

Again, I suppose it depends on what you look for in a pub.....

 

[cdbrown]

I'd rate Oktoberfest as one of those. Avoid the Hofbrau tent in the first week and you'll be all good...(Please note: opinion based on one visit 9 years ago )

And the lowenbrau tent. Unless you want to hang out with a few thousand stupidly drunk aussies, kiwis and saffas. (based on going opening few days in 06 and 07). 2nd week the Italians turn up and are apparently worse than the aussies!

Augustiner Brau tent was great, lots of locals like this beer and they don't mind having a chat.

 

[vicelore]

If your keen to meet up with a AHBer ill be over there from Sep 13 till Oct 16th.

Pm me Mate, im heading over solo would love to share a beer with a AHBer.

Cheers Vice

 

[beerbrewer76543]

google maps is pretty sweet... and by that i mean overwhelming

type in "brewery cologne"... so many to choose from! I might try and do an epic brew-crawl when I'm over there in December

 

[WSC]

http://www.brugsbeertje.be/index_en.htm

Go to the above location in brugge, one of the best beer experiences of my life

 

[muay]

The PINT Amsterdam Bokbierfestival (Bock Beer Festival) is a nice small festival if you happen to be in the area 30th Oct - 1st Nov.

http://www.pint.nl/pint/bbf.htm

+1 for Brugge also.

 

[petesbrew]

Wow, thanks for all the quick responses - lots of good tips here. :beer:

I will go to a few of the touristy places, but I'd prefer to find places that are off the beaten track. An exception to this is Oktoberfest, which I will be in Munich for :chug:

Cities I'm staying in:

London
Dublin
Edinburgh
Paris
Nice
Cinque Terre
Venice
Rome
Athens
Santorini
Istanbul
Bucharest
Budapest
Zagreb
Dubrovnik
Vienna
Prague
Salzburg
Munich
Berlin
Amsterdam
Brussels

We'll also do day trips out of these cities.

Keep the suggestions flowing, I'll keep checking back

Rub it in, why don't you!
If you can get the chance, definitely do a few days in Brugges, like i said.
Awesome tours of Flanders Fields too.

Lucky lucky prick

 

[mckenry]

Lucky lucky prick

+1

But, sorry if this has been suggested, I came straight to the last post.

After Prague - go to Czesky Kromlov - prob spelt that wrong - google it - eggenberg brewery. Great day. El cheapo looking place, they give homeless people a roof over their head & beer instead of wages, for lugging boxs bottles etc around. Really nice town & great brewery tour. No frills, but a great tasting afterwards with a good meal too.