There’s a good chance you’re in Munich to drink beer (achievement unlocked!), so let me tell you about the best place to start: Airbräu, the Munich airport brewery and beer garden.
Not only is this the best place to begin your Oktoberfest journey (and literally the first possible stop after landing), it’s also the best way to spend a layover in the Munich airport if your travels are taking you elsewhere. (I layed-over here on the way to Naples, Italy in 2022 just so I could visit Airbräu again.)
Airbräu: the Munich airport brewery
The Munich airport brewery (Airbräu) is a full-scale brewery and beer garden right in the center of Munich’s main airport (Flughafen München). It opened in 1999 and was actually the world’s first and only airport brewery.
Munich, Germany is a city big on breweries and beer gardens so the encouragement to dive right in should come as no surprise at all. (See what else there is to do in Munich here!) They serve big Bavarian meals and a menu of, well, big Bavarian beers. Lemme just get this out of the way now—everything in Munich: big, Bavarian.
Airbräu, the Munich Airport Brewery is:
- The answer for what to do on a layover in the Munich airport
- The best place to get Bavarian food in the Munich airport
- A great meeting point in the Munich Airport when your travel buddies are all coming from different locations
- The perfect place to start your Munich Oktoberfest experience
Where is the Munich airport brewery?
Airbräu is located in the public plaza of Flughafen München international airport between terminals 1 and 2. Here you’ll find Airbräu’s indoor tavern and the adjoining outdoor beer garden. (In the covered, rain-proof airport atrium, thankyouverymuch.)
This area is outside the secure airport area, which means (even if you plan to visit the Munich airport brewery on a layover), you’ll need to retrieve your luggage from baggage claim first before you start drinking. I can’t emphasize this enough. You don’t want to have to wear your Airbräu receipt to Oktoberfest. (This is not CVS. It will not be enough paper.)
And because the Munich airport brewery is located between the secure terminals, that means you don’t even need a boarding pass to visit. If your Munich plans take you anywhere near the Munich airport via car or train, you can pop on in whenev’.
If you arrive by car, you can enjoy 3 hours of free parking (is you spend at least €20 at Airbräu). So maybe just eat this time and save the many many beers for the Wiesn.
Airbräu actually has a couple of locations and private function rooms scattered around the airport though, one of them being a massive hot air balloon you can dine in!
Airbräu: Next to Heaven
Airbräu also has a second, smaller location inside the terminal that serves all the Munich airport brewery’s best beers and meals. So, if you’re connecting in Munich and absolutely can’t leave the terminal, you’re in luck!
In Terminal 2, look for Airbräu: Next to Heaven.
Also check out my post on drinking Kölsch beer in Cologne, Germany and the interesting tibits you need to know.
Airbräu brewing
So what kind of beer can you expect from the Munich airport brewery? Well, big and Bavarian, yes. But also, the best beer value you’ll find anywhere in Munich. A ½ liter here will set you back less than €4. And a liter of beer here is less than €7.5! That’s half the price of a liter at Oktoberfest! That’s the best beer deal in not only the Munich airport, but b e y o n d.
Airbräu beer styles
Here at the world’s first airport brewery, Airbräu brews a variety of traditional Bavarian-style beers, all in accordance with the Reinheitsgebot of course (Germany’s beer purity law). They all have adorable flight/air-themed names and are brewed right there on site.
Airbräu beers include:
- Fliegerquell, a helles (whose name loosely means a “the original beer brewed at the airport”)
- Kumulus, an appropriately named weißbier (cloudy wheat beer)
- 1918, a Märzenbier (named in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Free State of Bavaria)
- Aviator, a dopplebock (All dopplebocks end in -ator, so I love what they’ve done here.)
- Mayday, a dunkles weißbier (dark wheat beer)
- Gaudium, a festbier (an “Oktoberfest” style beer served in stone mugs with a name originating from the idea of “internal sin”)
- Krampus, a dark winter beer
- Aircraft, an unfiltered helles vollbier made completely by hand using traditional methods and Airbräu’s only craft beer (get it?)
Airbräu beers are available in 0.4L, 0.5L, and full-on liters. (My, Airbräu! What big beers you have! The better to prepare you for Oktoberfest, my dear.) And, if the mood strikes, you can also purchase 5- and 10-liter party kegs of Fliegerquell or Kumulus, or the more reasonable (no judgment) 6-pack of Aircraft.
What they don’t offer? Flights! My theme-loving heart is screaming!
Munich airport brewery tour
Airbräu offers brewery tours to the public so you can learn about and see their brewing process up-close as well as ask all your questions to their brewmaster.
These tours run about 45 minutes and include a beer tasting. They highly recommend arranging your Munich airport brewery tour ahead of time. Start here. Can you think of a better way to spend a Munich airport layover? Methinks not. (This is totally going to be better than the time I toured Munich’s the Spaten brewery.)
Airbräu food
First and foremost, you should hit up the Munich airport brewery for that first glorious sip of beer in the Bavarian capital. But… I mean… while you’re there, you might as well grab an intimidatingly huge and delicious meal too.
Airbräu offers a full menu of Bavarian delights and will probably be the best food you’ve ever consumed in an airport concourse. You can expect all the typical snacks and meals like:
- Obatzda and pretzels
- Pork knuckle
- Roasted duck
- Spaetzle
- Pork sausages
- Wiener schnitzel
- And so much more! Read their full menu here.
The portions here are… I’m giving a generous “OK” hand gesture to my computer right now if that helps. And the food is… I’m kissing my thumb and fingertips if that gives you any idea. What I mean is, Airbräu is definitely at the top of all Munich airport restaurant recommendations.
Do you need reservations?
No, you do not need reservations at the Munich airport brewery. In Airbräu’s main restaurant/beer garden alone they have seating for 1,000 people. However, it’s never a bad thing to have reservations and they would probably appreciate this. If you’d like to, you’re entirely welcome to make reservations.
Airbräu information
If you have a flight connecting in Munich but still want good Bavarian food and beer, there’s no need to head into downtown Munich, just check out Airbräu. If you need a good, central location to meet fellow travelers in the Munich airport, check out the Munich airport brewery. Or if you’ve just landed for Oktoberfest and absolutely CAN’T WAIT to start the party, hit up Airbräu on the way to the train station. (You’ll pass right by it anyway!)
I love this place and really enjoy stopping here as my first welcome back into the city I love so much. It’s cozy, it’s delicious, and it’s really a damn good deal.
- Airbräu is open every day from 8am to 11pm. (Hot dishes are served from 10am to 10pm.)
- More Airbräu info can be found on their website.
More info for your Munich trip
- Hotels: Head straight to Booking.com to see the best options in Munich.
- Rental cars: Check out the best rental car deals in Munich here.
- Travel planning: Pick up a Germany guidebook and this must-have Germany customs and culture guide.
- Tours & activities: Check out the great Munich tour options here on Viator and Get Your Guide.
- Headed to Oktoberfest? You can find all my Oktoberfest blog posts here.
Like this post? Have more questions about the Munich airport brewery? Let me know in the comments below. Have a great time in Munich!
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