Munich is considered the home of the mug and beer. Beer has been brewed here since the city was founded in 1158 and nowhere else are there so many breweries, beer festivals and beer gardens. The beer mug is therefore a Munich symbol.
Augustiner is the oldest brewery
Hops have been grown in Bavaria since the Middle Ages. Back then, it was mainly the monasteries that brewed. Augustiner, the oldest brewery in the city, was originally a monastery brewery. Later, there were also craft guilds dedicated to brewing beer.
The ingredients from which Munich beer is made are precisely defined in the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516. It was issued by Duke Wilhelm IV and states that only hops, malt and water are permitted.
Today, Munich has seven major beer brands - Augustiner, Spaten, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu and Franziskaner.
The Maßkrug is a Bavarian beer mug. It was named after the Maß, a unit of volume from the 19th century. It is roughly equivalent to one litre. In Munich, the Maßkrug is used to serve beer or Radler at the Oktoberfest, in beer gardens and pubs. It is therefore a symbol of the city.
A good beer also needs a suitable container - the mug. This Bavarian beer mug was named after the Maß, a unit of volume from the 19th century. It corresponds roughly to one litre. In the past, beer mugs were mainly made of stoneware. Today they are mostly made of glass. There is a special Oktoberfest stein for the Oktoberfest season. This is redesigned every year and can be bought as a collector's item.
Munich locals celebrate their beer
On 23 April, the people of Munich celebrate Beer Day. The beer is toasted with free beer at the beer fountain in front of the Bavarian Brewers' Association building. In addition, every year the Munich Brewers' Association chooses a beer queen who represents Bavarian beer for a year.
There are also all kinds of beer festivals in Munich. The strong beer season begins right after carnival, the Maibock is served in spring and the Spring Festival and Auer Dult start. The world's biggest beer festival is of course the Oktoberfest. This is where you need the most beer mugs, as around 6 million litres are drunk there.
