Ayinger brewery

[GordonS]

Thinking it best not to highjack the "Hofbrauhaus in Las Vegas" topic, I will start a new one. KindvonRüber, your response intrigued me, so I thought I'd see what I could find about the Ayinger brewery. Here is a set of reviews of the brewery as a travel destination:

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/39/?view=beerfly

You may also find similar reviews of other German breweries on this web site. Others are now welcome to join in and name their own favorites -- particularly as regards personal visits.

[KindvonRüber]

While quite different in style and production from Ayinger, I was taken on a wonderful tour of Bitburger (the newer facility, c. 1973) this past summer. My buddy's father said he "knew someone who worked there" and asked if I'd like a tour. I'm always up for a brewery tour (its essential to my night job: purchasing import and craft beers for a retail store), so I said sure. The trip to and from was worth it all by itself. We flew down and back in small private planes and I got wonderful fotos of the Mosel, my ancestral village, and the former military air base at Bitburg, now being converted to civilian use. The guy "who worked there" turned out to be Herr Doktor Axel Simon, a descendant of the founders and recently retired Director of Engineering. What a tour! Knowledge and passion for the brewing craft as well as pride in accomplishment. Although he spoke in German (I was the only one in our small group not fluent), I could make sense of what he was explaining. After many brewery tours, you know what topics will be covered, what the equipment is for, etc. Others translated when necessary. Afterwards, we had a delightful lunch at the airfield, where the officers' club had been converted to a restaurant. My buddy's father had taught Herr Doktor Simon how to fly, so most of the conversation was pilot chat, but it was still a thrill to listen in. As for the brewery itself, it is an impressive mega-operation, with special attention to being eco-friendly. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

[DragonSlayer]

While quite different in style and production from Ayinger, I was taken on a wonderful tour of Bitburger (the newer facility, c. 1973) this past summer. My buddy's father said he "knew someone who worked there" and asked if I'd like a tour. I'm always up for a brewery tour (its essential to my night job: purchasing import and craft beers for a retail store), so I said sure. The trip to and from was worth it all by itself. We flew down and back in small private planes and I got wonderful fotos of the Mosel, my ancestral village, and the former military air base at Bitburg, now being converted to civilian use. The guy "who worked there" turned out to be Herr Doktor Axel Simon, a descendant of the founders and recently retired Director of Engineering. What a tour! Knowledge and passion for the brewing craft as well as pride in accomplishment. Although he spoke in German (I was the only one in our small group not fluent), I could make sense of what he was explaining. After many brewery tours, you know what topics will be covered, what the equipment is for, etc. Others translated when necessary. Afterwards, we had a delightful lunch at the airfield, where the officers' club had been converted to a restaurant. My buddy's father had taught Herr Doktor Simon how to fly, so most of the conversation was pilot chat, but it was still a thrill to listen in. As for the brewery itself, it is an impressive mega-operation, with special attention to being eco-friendly. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Bitburger beer comes from Bitburg! I also remember that was the place where Reagan layed a wreath causing some controversy.