Some time ago a few friends and I did a head-to-head comparison of a number of lovely Munich Starkbiers in honor of the end of Lent, and the winner was – Korbinian!
I’ll write a little more about Starkbier later, but you should know that the traditional Munich Starkbiers are all named with names which end in -ator. Korbinian is an exception to this rule, and it isn’t even the beer its brewer, Weihenstephan, mentions with respect to the season known as the “fifth season.” For those of us who tasted it, the winner was clear.
My ranking of the beers we …read more

\r\n\r\nI\’ve mentioned it here and here, but I have always enjoyed Augustiner\’s beers. For those of you who have spent any time in Munich, you\’ll know that Augustiner is not nearly as well represented across the city as Paulaner, Löwenbräu and Spaten, but when you get the chance to order one, do (preferably an Edelstoff, don\’t ask, just order it). Like most Munich beers, the traditional Augustiner is a Munich Helles, so it\’s neither overly hoppy nor heavily malted, but it\’s a crisp, refreshing and eminently drinkable beer.\r\n\r\nSo it was that I ended up at one of the Augustiner tents …read more