Beer Travels Day 5
- AZ Brews
- Sep 19
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 22
“A full Munich day: rivers, gardens, scooters, steeples, lederhosen, and one unforgettable lineup of beers.”
Day 5 – Munich Day 🇩🇪🍻
After the long-haul train adventure of the previous day, we were happy to stay local in Munich and soak up the city.
We started with a U-Bahn (subway) ride to Lehel, then strolled along the Isar River toward the massive Englischer Garten. The park felt endless, peaceful, and green — an idyllic city oasis. We stopped at the Eisbach, where locals surf a permanent standing wave under the bridge. It was wild watching wetsuited surfers carving turns right in the middle of the city.
We tried to rent bikes without luck, but after a long walk we grabbed some e-scooters and zipped around the park. Only later (once we left) did we learn scooters were verboten (prohibited) there — we laughed that maybe the police would come for us at the airport later in the week, with video evidence of us in the park, lol
APB Munich Polizei: Have You Seen These 2 Idiots?
From there, we cruised past a lake then over to Seehaus (Paulaner), but it wasn’t open yet. So instead, we landed at the Hofbräuhaus am Chinesischen Turm beer garden and enjoyed an Edel Helles and a pretzel in the shade of the iconic pagoda tower. It was a classic Bavarian experience, highly recommended!
After returning the scooters near Marienplatz, we explored the heart of Munich. At Augustiner am Platzl, we had the legendary Edelstoff — simply the greatest beer in all the world.
Next was the world-famous Hofbräuhaus, where we soaked up the festive atmosphere of live bands, steins clinking, and people singing. Their Helles was outstanding — clean, crisp, and bursting with character. We especially enjoyed sitting outside in their bier garden.
For a snack, we wandered to Viktualienmarkt for a classic Leberkäse before heading to Der Schorr (Hacker-Pschorr). Their Helles was phenomenal — maybe not quite Augustiner or Hofbräu, but close. Crisp, bready, perfectly dialed in. We sat outside under the umbrellas and it's quite a nice atmosphere sitting near the giant Maypole near the market.
We toured Frauenkirche (church) and Asamkirche (church) then climbed the ancient tower of Peterskirche (church) for sweeping views of Munich’s rooftops. We saw the image on the ceiling of St. Peter crucified upside-down. Next we stopped by the Official Oktoberfest Store for souvenirs. At this point we were getting thirsty. We headed to Paulaner Zum Spöckmeier and sampled their Dunkel (good, not great) and their Helles (ranking 4th behind Augustiner, Hofbräu, and Hacker-Pschorr).
Later, we donned our lederhosen (Greg scored a vest at a thrift shop along the way) and headed to dinner at Löwenbräukeller. The setting was grand, the food was excellent, but the beer was average compared to the competition. We commented that only in Bavaria would it be completely normal to walk around town in lederhosen. In fact, we saw lots of people dressed in Trachten every day..
To close the night, we ventured to Higgins Ale Works, a cozy taproom right next to the Spaten and Löwenbräu breweries. Run by a husband-and-wife team from New Jersey, they brew in the basement next door and opened the taproom just a few years ago. Their beers weren’t remarkable by U.S. craft standards, but the experience was warm, welcoming, and a refreshing taste of hops after a day of Bavarian lagers.
It was a long but very rewarding day in Munchen :)
📍 Map of Day 5 Stops See Map Here
🍺 Beer Highlights – Day 5
Hofbräu Chinesischer Turm – Edel Helles – crisp & refreshing in the garden
Augustiner Edelstoff – simply the best, rich & flawless 👑 Beer of the Day
Hofbräu Helles – festive, flavorful, with unbeatable atmosphere
Hacker-Pschorr Helles – bready, balanced, nearly top-tier
Paulaner Dunkel & Helles – solid but not standout
Löwenbräu Helles – good food pairing, but average beer
Higgins Ale Works IPA/APA – friendly craft twist, hoppy but slightly off
🏆 Trip-Wide Helles Leaderboard (Days 1–5)
Augustiner Edelstoff (Munich, am Platzl – Day 5) 👑 – flawless, rich, perfectly balanced
Hofbräu Helles (Munich, Hofbräuhaus – Day 5) – festive, crisp, bursting with energy
Hacker-Pschorr Helles (Munich, Der Schorr – Day 5) – bready, clean, nearly top-tier
Ayinger Helles (Munich, Wirtshaus – Day 1) – smooth, classic, “hunting lodge” atmosphere elevated it
Augustiner Helles Lager - Incredibly smooth and bready, found in every store in town for like $2.50 / 22oz.
Paulaner Helles (Munich, Zum Spöckmeier – Day 5) – solid, smooth, but less memorable
Mazl Rainer Helles (Munich, Eden Hotel Wolff – Day 1) – light, crisp, clean — a perfect trip “first beer”
Löwenbräu Helles (Munich, Löwenbräukeller – Day 5) – good with food, but average compared to rivals
Andechs Helles (Kloster Andechs – Day 2) – refreshing but underwhelming compared to the Doppelbock
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