The last time I was in Munich, it was in winter and snowing. Not a big tent or Ferris wheel anywhere in sight. In fact, there were no signs of Oktoberfest at all. The famed Glockenspiel at the Marienplatz in the heart of Munich still attracted a crowd — though as we all watched the slow-moving mechanical figures, I assumed most of the others wanted that 12 minutes of their life back as much as I did.

Well, I was not in Munich to be outside in the snow watching a Glockenspiel — I was here for the real tourist attraction: drinking beer. I was looking for the everyday beer of the citzens of Munich. I wanted liters of as many different brands as I could find, because these beers are just as good on a snowy cold day at the Chinese Tower as they are in the summer months throwing bocce in the backyard. With the Big Six beers of Munich you just cannot go wrong.

Sadly, most people only focus on German beer during Oktoberfest. And the problem with this is that they then tend to only focus on Oktoberfest beer. (I’ve also had a lot of domestic Oktoberfest-style beers, many of them from places like Cherry Hill, New Jersey and Utica, New York. Why would you look for a good German beer from places like this?)

Unfortunately, all of this focus on Oktoberfest misses out on the standard, everyday beers of Munich. Here’s an idea: Now that Oktoberfest is long over, bring back the Oompah music. Just leave off the Oktoberfest beer and instead acquaint yourself with the beers of the Big Six breweries of Munich. This is, of course, not to say that there aren’t good Oktoberfest beers. Hofbrau’s and Paulander’s Oktoberfest, for instance are wonderful. It’s just that these special beers are really only meant for one time of year.

As I’ve said before, I am more of a traditional beer drinker than a taster. I like beer that tastes like beer. That last trip to Munich included a night where I spent six or seven hours in the Augustiner beer hall. There, they mark your coaster for each beer you order and then crack the coaster when you pay your final tab. My coaster had X’s 90 percent of the way around. And I was getting pictures taken of myself wearing some local guy’s ugly sweater. The point? Augustiner is a beer that you can drink. Not sip. Not taste. Drink — and enjoy for an extended period of time. Fancy beer people call beers like this “session beers.” Drinkability may be an ad campaign for a bad light beer, but it is what I am looking for. And this is what makes the everyday beers of Munich some of my favorites.

Munich has a brewing history that dates back over 500 years. Yes, before the Americas had been settled by Europeans. Their experience shows in these six offerings. So put on “Country Roads” by the German band Die Inselfeger, grab some fresh pretzels, and enjoy a six pack.

One note of caution: Though these beers often look similar to the American beers you are used to, they all clock in at over 5% ABV. As Walt said, “the only ‘problem’ with these beers is that it’s only 9:05 p.m.”…and he was into his fifth beer of six.

Spaten Premium

Spaten’s name and brewery date back to 1397. The first brewery in Munich to create a lighter drinking style, Spaten is the most similar to standard American beer. Read: Guys who like Coors Light won’t complain about drinking it. That is not to say this isn’t a great beer. Jen mentioned it tastes like beer should taste, steely and crisp. Jason said this one should be found in the dictionary next to the word “beer.”

Lowenbrau Original

Here's to good friends, Tonight is kind of special. This is not that same beer that Miller licensed and produced with a different recipe in the 1970s and 1980s. Because of that interlude of bad beer, Lowenbrau has battled image issues in the U.S. As Jill stated, “I always thought this was bad beer.” Nope, very enjoyable and drinkable is my opinion. Others did not like this as much as Jill and I did. Jason said that he couldn’t put his finger on what he didn’t like. Lowenbrau was the least expensive of all the beers we tried. It was $6.50 a six pack. A good bargain.

Hofbrau Original

For anyone who has had a chance to spend an afternoon enjoying Hofbrau in the actual Hofbrauhaus, there is a special place in his or her heart for this beer. That popular, mega beer hall is a strange mix of tacky tourist trap, locals’ drinking hall, and historic landmark. The beer matches this mix. During my last visit I spent a good part of the afternoon people-watching and eating too many pretzels. I also had quite a few liters of the original. A delicious beer and my favorite of the six. Just the right mix of flavor and the ability to drink it all night. One taster, Meg, mentioned it was like “beer water” and asked, “When would you drink this…summer?” My first thought: “Beer water?” Second thought: How about drinking this all the time! Jason pointed out that the company noted on its own label “a fine harsh aroma.” How German.

Paulaner Original Munich

I was at the Paulander brewery in Munich one morning at 9 a.m. nursing a bit of a morning hangover that was not helped by the smell of sauerkraut. Paulander proved to be the hair of the dog that made for an excellent companion to my weisswurst for breakfast. This lager beer has a very nice taste and aftertaste. It’s a nice complement to food, especially German fare like sausages and potato salads. Ice-cold, the flavor of this beer was hidden. As with each of these beers, the flavor increased as it warmed slightly. When you are drinking it out of a liter mug as the Germans do, the beer will have time to warm and for the flavor to come forward. Meg mentioned this was more complex, full and nice. Jen mentioned it being watery. People! It’s beer!

 

Hacker-Pschorr Munich Gold

This brewery is the merger (in 1972) of two brothers’ breweries. During 1944, when Pschorr’s brewery was bombed, Hacker allowed Pschorr to brew two days a week in its brewery. The Hacker-Pschorr Munich Gold did not get the gold medal. It was one of the least favorite beers of the group. It did not have very good flavor and it left a bad aftertaste. I want to point out that one issue with German beer is that it has to get here from Germany and has no preservatives. It can therefore go bad. If your liquor store is not turning beer over, be aware of what you are buying. If it is not kept cold and the bottles are dusty, you may want to give it a miss. I am afraid this may have been part of the issue with our sampling. To be certain, Hacker-Pschorr has several other styles that are well worth trying. I would purchase any of the others above Munich Gold.

 

Augustiner Brau Munchen

The monks who started crafting this beer in 1328 with water from a private well (more than 700 feet below ground) would probably be surprised to learn that their beer is the most expensive of the three ($10.50 a six pack), but would not be surprised how much our tasters liked it. It had the most distinct flavor of the six but was still a beer that you could want to continue to drink beyond two. Jen’s comment was “Why have I never had this beer?” Jason thought it the best of the bunch, creamy and crisp with a nice malty finsh. He thought that the finish was an important part of any beer. Be careful though because it does have 5.7% alcohol by volume and will sneak up on you compared to normal American beers. You do not want to end up in someone else’s ugly sweater like I did.

 

Tyler Wilson drinks beer. Email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Header photo from ChadBriggs via Flickr (Creative Commons), "The Brew" photograph from Flickmor via Flickr (Creative Commons), "Bottle" photograph from istockphoto.com.