Drinking rauchbier in Bamberg, Germany has been on my beer bucket list for a while, but that wasn’t always the case. Prior to a couple years ago, I couldn’t stand rauchbier and its strong smoky flavor. Then one day, having not tried any in a long time, I suddenly loved it! (Beats me.) From then on, I knew I had to get myself to Bamberg to drink it at the source.
I’m a big fan of drinking beers in their places of origin—like kölsch in Cologne and pilsner in Pilsen. This is the best way to enjoy the true, original versions of whatever it is you’re drinking. So, to help you with your beer bucket list, I give you this guide to some of the best and most traditional places to drink rauchbier in Bamberg, Germany.
What is Rauchbier?
In German, rauchbier translates to “smoke beer.” And when you try it for the first time, you’ll know exactly why. Rauchbier has a distinctive smoky flavor, similar to how smoked meats and fish taste. (Some newbies may go so far as to say it tastes like bacon.) But where smoked meats and fish are themselves cooked in a smoker, rauchbier gets its flavor by smoking the malted barley that will go into the brewing process. In other words, the beer itself isn’t smoked, but its ingredients are.
From the beginning of beer-brewing time, fire had always been used to dry the malt (because that’s all they had thousands of years ago). As a result, almost all beer had some kind of smoky flavor to it. But on July 23, 1635, Sir Nicholas Halse (UK) patented a new type of kiln that made it possible to cook malt without fire and smoke.
This method was much cheaper and more efficient than traditional fire ovens. So, brewers the world over soon made the switch, inadvertently removing any lingering smoky flavor from beer. But while the rest of the world had sold out to industrial progress, four breweries in Bamberg, Germany held fast to their traditions and thus preserved the use of fire kilns for making beer. (But only three remain today.)
Where is Bamberg?
Bamberg is located in northern Bavaria near the center of Germany, just a short drive north of Nuremberg.
How to get to Bamberg
Bamberg makes a great little side destination if you’re traveling from, say, Munich to Berlin (or vice versa), or just making a road trip around Bavaria. Because of its central location, you can easily get to Bamberg several ways:
Driving to Bamberg
Bamberg is an excellent city to drive to and there’s plenty of parking available once here. I actually drove here from Prague (stopping at Flossenbürg Concentration Camp along the way) and then continued on to Munich a few days later.) To Bamberg, it’s about a:
You can rent a car here if you need one.
Where to park in Bamberg
If you’ll be stopping by Bamberg to, say, have one beer and then continue on, here are a couple of easy and centrally-located parking areas. All are either in or just a few minutes’ walk from the main center and most of these great pubs.
You can also find paid street parking all around the city (which may be free overnight depending on where you park). I parked on the street one night and in the Parkhaus Zentrum Süd for the rest of my time in Bamberg.
Taking the train to Bamberg
If you don’t plan on driving while in Germany, you can just as easily get to Bamberg via train. Some routes are faster this way; some are slower. Check out the schedules here on Bahn.com (Germany’s main rail company) for the details, but here’s the gist:
Taking the bus to Bamberg
Similarly, you can also take the bus to Bamberg from cities all over Europe. Some routes may take longer but you can’t deny the money you’ll save traveling this way. I always recommend the Flixbus for European bus travel and I’ve taken it several times myself. See all Flixbus routes to and from Bamberg here.
Drinking rauchbier in Bamberg
Of the four Bamberg breweries that upheld the traditional method of cooking with fire, three of them still operate today. (Polarbär closed in 1935.) Check these out for some of the best rauchbiers you’ll ever have.
The Bamberg Onion (Bamberger Zwiebel)
Before we get started, I want to share with you one of my favorite things about drinking rauchbier in Bamberg—the Bamberg Onion (Bamberger Zwiebel in German). The Bamberg Onion is a local specialty that’s basically a giant onion (or two medium ones in my case) that’s stuffed with ground pork, topped with bacon, drowned in gravy, and served with mashed potatoes. It’s incredible. *wipes away tears* Be sure to order the Bamberg onion at Schlenkerla.
Where to drink rauchbier in Bamberg
The following are some of the best and most traditional places to drink rauchbier in Bamberg, Germany to help complete your beer bucket list. Prost!
Map of where to drink rauchbier in Bamberg
This map contains all the places to drink rauchbier in Bamberg that I mention in this post (plus hotel recommendations, parking, and more). To save this map: Click on the star ⭑ next to the map’s title to save in your Google Maps. To use this map: When you get here, open Google Maps on your phone, click “Saved” at the bottom, then click “Maps.”
1. Schlenkerla
Schlenkerla is the most famous of all the places to drink rauchbier in Bamberg and what many (myself included) consider to be the original. This most historic rauchbier brewery dates back to the 1400s and is considered the headquarters of what’s known as Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier (Real Schlenkerla Smoked Beer).
There are several different and fun areas here to drink your rauchbier—indoor taverns and outdoor beer gardens included. Plus, the food here is simply amazing. (Come hungry!) Order yourself a traditional rauchbier to start, then try some of their other great beers like:
2. Brauerei Spezial
Another of the three original breweries for rauchbier in Bamberg is Brauerei Spezial. Dating back to 1536, Brauerei Spezial is another historical pub with a very historical feel. (This also means it’s cash only here.) They, too, offer a simply delicious and mildly smoky rauchbier lager. After you’ve had one of these, try their other offerings:
- Marzen – For a stronger smoky flavor than the original
- Spezialbräu Weisse – For the wheat beer lovers
- Bockbier – A dark, strong winter beer available starting in October
- Ungespundetes – Pale, unfiltered beer
Ungespundetes
Another beer type you’ll see all around Bamberg is Ungespundetes. This word comes from the fact that when the beer is stored in the cellars, the barrels aren’t “bunged,” i.e. not fully sealed. This allows for the release of CO2 throughout fermentation which gives the beer a delicate hop aroma and lower carbonation.
3. Greifenklau
The third of the original breweries for rauchbier in Bamberg is Greifenklau, though this isn’t exactly what they’re known for anymore. They offer a few different beers here, like a lager, marzen, bock, zwickel (kellerbier), and helles. But if it’s rauchbier you want, order a glass of their Greif-R, a lightly smoky offering.
4. Klosterbräu
Another of Bamberg’s historic breweries is Klosterbräu, also dating back to the 1500s. Though not one of the originators of the style, you can still drink rauchbier in Bamberg here at Klosterbräu. They offer several other traditional Bavarian styles like kellerbier, schwarzbier, and bock, but don’t miss out on their version of the original smoked beer.
Klosterbräu also has several great areas in which to drink these beers–inside their restaurant, their bierstüberl, their cellar, their barn, or three separate outdoor beer garden areas.
Other great breweries in Bamberg
The four breweries mentioned above are where you can find original, traditional-style rauchbier in Bamberg. However, Bamberg is such a great beer-drinking city that you shouldn’t stop there. There are several other breweries that also make excellent beer of their own, so it’d feel wrong not to mention them. Enjoy!
5. Mahr’s Bräu
The Mahr’s brewery is one of my favorite places to drink beer in Bamberg (even though they don’t make a rauchbier). Their service is fantastic and I especially love their U Ungespundet. They also have a large inn and the food here is really good.
6. Brauerei Keesmann
Just across the street from Mahr’s is the Keesmann brewery. They offer more typical beer styles like pilsner, helles, vollbier, weisse, bock, and lager. Expect another traditional inn with great food in a historic building. (Keesmann dates back to 1867, practically a baby!)
7. Fässla Brewery
Across the street from the Brauerei Spezial you’ll see the Fässla Brewery, brewing great beer here since 1649. Though you won’t find a rauchbier here, you will find a pilsner, a weizenbier, helles, lagerbier, doppelbock, and something called a zwergla which I’ve never seen anywhere else.
8. Ambräusianum
Another cool small brewery in Bamberg is the Ambräusianum, located just next door to Schlenkerla. Only around since 2004, this is far younger than the rest of Bamberg’s breweries. They offer an unfiltered helles, an ungespundet, and an amber wheat. So if you’re looking to try something different and in a cool space, head here.
Other great places to drink beer in Bamberg
Bamberg is also full of great pubs and beer gardens where you can order beer from many of the breweries mentioned above (and still more). These may not brew their own beer, but they make great places to drink it!
9. Spezial Keller
If you’re looking for a big, beautiful beer garden with great views and great brews, head to the Spezial Keller. Serving up beers from the Brauerei Spezial, that means you can enjoy a rauchbier here (as well as their other beer styles). They also have a full food menu, and indoor and outdoor seating for well over 500 people. Plus, views of Bamberg’s Old Town including the Michaelsberg Monastery.
10. Wilde Rose Keller
Another large, tree-covered Bamberg beer garden is the Wilde Rose Keller just up the road from the Spezial Keller. You’ll be able to drink Schlenkerla rauchbier here as well as Keesmann pilsner, Wilde Rose pilsner, and an organic weissebier from a brewery in nearby Bad Staffelstein. The Wilde Rose Keller is also known for their bandstand and their regular calendar of live music.
11. Altenburg 1
On the tallest of Bamberg’s “seven hills” you’ll find the Altenburg Castle (built in the 1100s). Historical landmark-ness aside, there’s also a beer garden and restaurant up here! Altenburg 1 offers, obviously, amazing views over Bamberg but also traditional Franconian cuisine and beers from both the Keesmann and Mahr’s breweries.
12. Bootshaus Restaurant im Hain
Whenever I’m in Germany, I’m always on the lookout for a “Bootshaus.” Though this translates to “boathouse,” you can usually find a cool place to drink beer here. Bamberg is no different. At the Bootshaus Restaurant im Hain, you can drink your locally-brewed beer (from Bernd das Bier) at their beautiful beer garden on the Regnitz River.
Bamberg beer tours
If you’d like to drink rauchbier in Bamberg and explore the city’s breweries with an expert guide instead of on your own, opt for one of these awesome Bamberg beer tours:
Where to stay in Bamberg
If you plan to hang out for a while and check out some (or all) of these great places to drink rauchbier in Bamberg, it’s best to stay the night since drinking and driving don’t mix. Here are some quick Bamberg hotel recommendations:
You can see all Bamberg hotel options here.
What else to do in Bamberg
If you’d like to do more in Bamberg than just drink rauchbiers (gasp!), here are a few more popular ways to spend your time:
More info for your trip to Germany
Like this post? Have questions about drinking rauchbier in Bamberg? Let me know in the comments below. Have fun in Germany!
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