Mahrs Bräu Brewery and Biergarten in Bamberg, Germany

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Throwback Tuesday Post (TBTP): Every Tuesday, I re-post a past post that I think is relevant and that you’ll enjoy.

This post was originally published on June 1, 2016 and updated on November 26, 2019.

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On the to blog post topic:

In honor of the beginning of summer, which is Biergarten season in Germany, and because I’m really missing the place these days, I’m bringing you some photos and info about one of my favorite Biergartens: Mahrs Bräu Brewery in Bamberg, Germany.

Bamberg is where I taught English for a few years and is near and dear to my heart. Lots of my friends and former students are there, plus it’s just a beautiful German city. If anyone wants to hire me for their tour guide to Bamberg, consider it a done deal!

Mahrs (the name rhymes with the planet Mars) is a family-owned brewery and has been around since 1895. They brew nine different beers on site and also have an excellent kitchen. They serve a great Schnitzel and Sauerkraut. And I highly recommend the Hax’n, which is a knuckle of pork that will put you in a pork coma!

They also have other meat-centric, traditional dishes such as Schäuferla, roasted pork shoulder, shown here with the Kloβe, or potato dumpling:

 

 

 

Rouladen also with Kloβe:

And sometimes roasted duck, with the ever-present Kloβe:

On the side you’ll find Wirsing, or creamed savoy cabbage, VERY popular in these parts (it tastes better than it looks):

Just so you know, you can find the recipes for rouladen, Kloβe and Wirsing, as well as Schnitzel and Sauerkraut in my 2014 cookbook, A Travel for Taste – Germany, available on Amazon.

But, of course, the main thing is the beer. Their specialty, and I would guess their most popular brew, is the Ungespundetes BierAnd since no one would ever waste time saying that long word, at Mahrs you say, ‘A U-Bier, bitte.’ or simply ‘A U.” Sounds like, “a-ooo.” It’s fun to order like this once you realize the waitress doesn’t think you are joking.

U-Bier is brewed without a stopper in the bunghole of the barrel, allowing gases to escape during fermentation. Therefore, U-Bier has less fizz than other beers.

Oh, look! Here’s one now!

Ok, that one might be a bit lighter than U-Bier but you get the idea.

Interestingly, the slogan at the brewery is “Das Mahrs aller Dinge,” which is a pun on the German phrase “Das Mas aller Dinge,” which translates as “the measure of all things”. Kinda implies that Mahrs is the measure of all things. I like that nifty turn of phrase. German isn’t prone to many puns.

Their courtyard is the Biergarten in good weather:

And it IS as dark inside as it appears in the above photos. In the shadowy hallway just inside the door is a window for ordering beer. It can be quite a strain on the eyes to go from the bright Biergarten into the darkness, but somehow people manage. Next to the beer window are several tall tables where the regulars stand and chew the fat. Next to those tables is the door to the Wirtshaus, or restaurant, which is also quite dark inside. It’s not that the lighting is bad, it’s all the dark, dark wood of the traditional Bavarian pub lining the walls.

Of course the waitresses all wear the traditional Dirndl:

There is good service at Mahrs and you should make reservations or arrive early if you want a good seat. It’s a popular joint and known far and wide for the kitchen and brew. Here I am with my German teacher Frank on the left and my handsome husband James on the right:

Remember, the offer’s still open to be your tour guide. When do we fly?

Photo for No Apparent Reason:

1 thought on “Mahrs Bräu Brewery and Biergarten in Bamberg, Germany”

  1. All the food looks delicious! My son is going to be visiting Germany next month. I am definitely sending him this link!!!

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