If you are visiting Germany, and even if you are not a beer drinker, you need to go to the Hofbräuhaus Munich. Outside of Oktoberfest season, it is probably the number one destination for tourists from all around the world. This large, loud, and bustling beer hall is open every day of the year and it is almost always packed. Here you get to do what we think you should do in Germany: drink great beer, eat delicious food, sing loudly, and clank large beer mugs together in friendship.

Beer Steins and Beer Tokens

Since there is such an interest in the beer, the management has always catered to regulars. There are hundreds of people who have standing table reservations each week. There is even a list of them on the Hofbräuhaus website.

They will collect their tankard from a locker; order a maß (mass or beer-1 liter) which he will then pay for with a special Biermarke or token.

There are over 400 tankard lockers located around the main area of the beer hall, some of which have been handed down from generation to generation.

While you are sitting there just pull out your Biermarke and pay for beer. A Biermarke, or token, can be bought for a small discount per beer or you can buy ten tokens and get the eleventh beer free.

The Hofbrauhaus is not just for Tourists. The beer hall can seat 1300 people, and there are people there from all over the world. However, they are not all tourists; surprisingly the Hofbräuhaus has many regulars.

Hofbrauhaus Customs You Should Know

People have been going to the Hofbräuhaus for over 400 years since it first opened its doors in 1897 and one very important tradition that you should be ready for is singing. Every night a Bavarian band plays, and about every 15 or 20 minutes you can hear one or both of these songs: the “Hofbräuhaus Lied” (the Hofbräuhaus song) or “Prosit” (Cheers). Both give the visitors a chance to clink their beers with the person sitting next to them and have a toast. Don’t be shy! It is a lot of fun!You can always tell the locals by the trachtenmoden, or traditional Bavarian dress, that they are wearing. Before moving to Bavaria, I thought lederhosen and dirndl were only for tourists or restaurant workers, but I was wrong. Many, many Bavarians own their own and proudly wear it for any number of occasions. You can buy the traditional felt hat and pins right there in the Hofbräuhaus, but as you walk around Munich you can also buy all kinds of traditional Bavarian clothes.

A Special Hofbräuhaus Angel

It’s no secret that Müncheners love their beer, and if you pay attention, you will see a short little brown-haired angel hanging around the Hofbräu beerhall. His name is Aloisius, and before he became an angel, he was a porter for the brewery and would end his day with a tankard. When he met his demise from working too hard, he went up to Heaven where he found that no beer existed. He was not happy about this and when the city government of Munich needed some Heavenly advice he volunteered for the job. He was sent down to help, but the draw of his beloved beer was too strong and he made a detour to the Hofbräuhaus where he can still have a tankard or two. Unfortunately for the city officials, they are still waiting for that heavenly advice to come their way.
 Some places you can spot Aloisius are the he Hofbräu beer tent at the Oktoberfest or on the deckels and coloring books at the Hofbräuhaus, so keep your eyes open and say a “prosit” to him while you are there.

THE LARGEST

It’s the largest bräuhaus in all of Munich – it can hold up to 5000 beer partygoers, and it’s also the second-largest tent at Oktoberfest.

THE BEST BEER?

It was founded in 1589 by the Duke of Bavaria Whilelm the 5th, as the official Royal Brewery, and used to be exclusively for the use of the Royal family. However, the beer rapidly became famous around Europe – people raved about its purity and incredible taste. It got so famous, in fact, that King Gustavius from Sweden accepted to not invade Munich in exchange of 600,000 barrels of the fine brew during the Thirty Years War.

NOT JUST THE ORIGINAL ONE - There are 24 other Hofbräuhaus locations in the world, including Seoul, Genoa, Dubai, Stockholm and Philadelphia. The one in Las Vegas is reportedly the first full-scale and most succesful replica of the beer house.

… AND THOSE WHO DON’T LIKE BEER

Also good to know for the non-beer lovers like me: the Hofbräuhaus is extremely photogenic.

From the massive wooden shelves filled with jugs to the live band to the typical Bavarian dishes, the place will be most pleasant for your camera. Yes, it is very touristy, and I don’t think there was a single local in there. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth a detour, if only to get a glimpse of this legendary place.

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