Friday, March 18, 2011

Beer in Munich

These cards show two of Munich's oldest breweries. The Hofbräuhaus is the most famous and the one tourists are most likely to visit, though they no longer arrive by horse-drawn carriage.  It was founded by the Duke of Bavaria in 1589.


It's still there and looks very much the same today.


The message on the card to Mr C. Solomon Jr. (with postage due) reads:

Munich , Sept 1, 1908

This is the place to get the best beer in the world. Have had one for you. Are having a fine time. We are leaving today for Heidelberg. Am getting quite a vocabulary in German.
A.T.C.

The second postcard is from the Löwenbräu cellar which is across the street from the Löwenbräu brewery.  It was built in 1883, but sustained some pretty severe damage during World War II, so it's a little smaller now than what's shown on the postcard.


I like the buildings, and the beer is fine, but I personally would choose many smaller beer-serving establishments in Munich over these. The Hofbräuhaus, in particular, is a big noisy cavern, and both it and the Löwenbräu cellar lack the Gemütlichkeit that I find appealing in those smaller establishments.

I did attend a fun reunion event at the Löwenbräu cellar a few years ago though. Since I took this picture, I am not in it, although I promise I was there and dressed up.  To give you a realistic depiction, I've added myself in a somewhat more casual fashion, propped up in an empty beer glass. No formal group portraits were taken, and I'm not sure why.

Although there are no tales of drunken debauchery here, you may find some on the other Sepia Saturday posts.

22 comments:

  1. I think if I ever visited Munich I would want to go to the Hofbräuhaus. It looks like a fun place in most of the postcards of it that I have seen.

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  2. Perfect descriptions all around! I concur on all fronts (except for those escapades of yours at the Munich reunion, which I will keep to myself)!
    Prost!
    Susi from Munich (finally got off the Hong Kong street car)

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  3. Christine : I am in heaven - postcards of beer and breweries. I am ashamed to say I have never been to Bavaria : a situation I hope to rectify within the next couple of years.

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  4. I love the stair-steps in the design of the first brewery. Love old buildings.

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  5. The buildings are lovely, and great postcards too.

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  6. What upset the lady in the bottom photo? It can't have been the setting.
    Great postcards to keep us happy - hic!

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  7. Christine ~ you are so funny! Yes, you look very nice sitting there in the middle of the table! :)

    It would be fun to arrive by horse-drawn carriage, though, wouldn't it?

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  8. There's something so comforting in a message written over 100 years ago that could be written today! Love the photo!

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  9. What was it a reunion of and why is that woman so unhappy and is her lipstick smeared from lots of kissing? I want details!
    Great postcards!
    Barbara

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  10. Bob and Barbara,
    I have dozens of photos with Susi's grimaces over the years. She's smiling inside though! I think here she's worried about the two-fisted drinker next to her at this reunion of a University of Munich program.

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  11. Oh my, the lady in the white blouse seems to have tasted something not to her liking.

    Löwenbräu was the only beer my grandparents dachshund would drink. He even had a special bowl. Put down some cheap local stuff and he'd have none of it.

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  12. I think that Barbara is right about Susi's lipstick, she is always lip-locked with her husband on the left, Thomas of previous 'Hong Kong illness' post fame... And the guy in the middle seems like a nice enough lush, I'm sure her grimace can't be cause by him! I was quite intrigued by the 'rauchbier' (smoked beer) particular to Bamberg, didn't have so much the tobacco smokiness of some stouts, more like BBQ in a glass- tasty, but definitely not light.

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  13. It's all about the beer....nice cards!

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  14. Brilliant addition of yourself! Are you leaning on the salt and pepper shakers? These are wonderful photos! I would enjoy a quiet establishment as well and I'd say it was for the same reason as you, however I'm not sure what Gemutlichkeit means so I'll assume debauchery.

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  15. MuseSwings,
    Well, debauchery works as well as anything. I didn't translate, because there really isn't a good one-word translation, but it has to do with comfortable and welcoming surroundings.

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  16. splendid buildings, love the carriages!! and fun photoshop job you did there. but "tales of debauchery"? if someone sees this and doesn't know about SEPIA SATURDAY, they might get the wrong impression... or the right one...
    ;)~
    HUGZ

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  17. Oh nicely done! I feel as though I was there myself! Nicely done!

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  18. Oh yes, I have memories of visiting Munich and sampling the beer at the Hofbrauhaus back in the 1970's. Great fun was had by all! I enjoyed seeing it all again, thank you.

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  19. What wonderful cards of such a fascinating building. I liked that you sat in on the drunken brawl.

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  20. You are so funny, Christine! I love your little photo in the beer glass. The buildings are amazing. Cavernous seems the perfect word to describe them. Thanks for the chuckle before bed.

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  21. Wow. These buildings are gorgous. I wonder, are the streets still the same... probably not. I love that he had a beer for his friend. LOL

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  22. Jeannie in a bottle, Christine in a beer mug:)Enjoying travel via these postcards!

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