Fortunately, we beer geeks have more than one place that qualifies as “Beer Mecca.” The Franconian region of Germany (Bavaria) ranks at the top, maybe even at the level of “Beer Nirvana”. The city of Bamberg in particular has been named a World Beer Heritage City by the European Beer Consumers Union. Bamberg boasts nine Breweries all within walking distance in the city limits, along with a world famous malting company and one of the oldest brewing equipment manufacturers in the world.

I have just returned from a short pilgrimage to the region and am really glad I made the detour on a recent business trip to get there. Like most beer aficionados, I went to Bamberg to drink freshly brewed Franconian beers; namely “ungespundetes” (unfiltered lager) beer and of course rauchbier (smoked lager). As I fully expected, I was bowled over by the complexity and fresh flavor of the beer right from the brewery tap. What I didn’t expect is how I would come to enjoy the beer culture as much, or more than the beer itself.

I was accompanied by a friend and fellow Charleston brewer, Jeff Rabatin (but that’s me in the pic). We arrived in Bamberg at 1 a.m. Saturday morning; having made our way from Frankfurt by train and then by bus due to a rare train strike. With the advice of some fellow beer travelers, I was able to book a very inexpensive room right inside one of the breweries. We called ahead to inform the innkeeper that we would arrive late. We were greeted with a smile, a room key and a fresh rauchbier right from the barrel. We quickly showered and nodded-off in preparation for the next day’s beery adventures.

We awoke to a crisp autumn day and after a hearty breakfast; we embarked on our beer hunt. We had our first beer at 10 a.m., and believe me, we were in no way acting out of the ordinary. In fact, we started a bit late as we joined the many locals already doing the same.

In earnest, we went through the formalities of tasting and taking notes on the first few beers that we tried, each having a fresh and very soft flavor, some smoked and others not. It seemed, though, as the day went on we started to focus more on the atmosphere in which we were drinking, and how beer is an integral part of German life. Every age group is represented and accommodated at the typical café; there are children’s play areas in the biergartens and most places have a “beer warmer” (see the picture) to accommodate elderly Germans who believe that warm beer is easier on their tummy. These people just seem to know how to live.

I would go as far to bet that local realtors are sure to point out nearby breweries and cafés to potential buyers and not hide the fact of their existence. Imagine buying or renting based on the beer district and school district!

The Franconian people are a huge part of the equation. We ran into a Brooklyn ex-pat over a beer at the famous rauchbier brewery Schlenkerla, where he told us his story of how he first fell in love with Franconian culture and then with a Franconian woman. In the nearby small town of Forcheim, we met a young man named Benjamin who politely offered us a quick walking tour of the village center and the remains of its fortress. For lunch and dinner we were often seated at a large table already inhabited by locals, put in what was for an American, an awkward situation where conversation was nearly imposed upon us. We adapted and are better for it. We even learned from a polite gentleman that “we must not eat weisswurst on a roll”; this just after we finished weisswurst- round-1. We quickly redeemed ourselves during round 2. (weisswurst is a nearly white and mildly spiced breakfast sausage, normally consumed with breakfast beer of course!)

The beautiful autumn weather made for great afternoons at Bamberg’s many beer gardens (“beer kellers” in the local dialect) where It’s not uncommon to hear groups of happy imbibers breaking out in spontaneous song. Jeff and I met several locals who were extremely friendly and seemingly enjoyed conversation with a couple of wandering beer-geeks from West Virginia. All in all, my 2-½ days in Bamberg were some of the best beer-days in my life. The beer of Franconia is great, but the beer drinkers of Franconia are better…

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