Beer in Heidelberg

Picture caption:Heidelberg from the Schloss

I was in Heidelberg on business before Christmas, where I found myself in self-catering accommodation and with no food or drink in the cupboard. With very little knowledge of German, I had to go out into the cold night in search of a meal and (hopefully) a beer.

Unfortunately, beer-wise, my first night was less than a glittering success. In the local pizza restaurant in Boxberg I ordered what I thought was a fantastic new beer style that I hadn't tried. However, after I received a glass of Pils and lemonade, I realised that the Radler I'd ordered was essentially the same as a shandy. Radler also means 'cyclist' and according to folklore, the drink-style was developed so that riders in the Bavarian hills could have a refreshing and nourishing drink without falling off their bikes. Radlers and their like are made using a number of different fruit drinks, John Conen even reports a Weissbier and Cola mix in his Bamberg and Franconia guide. That's all very well, but keep them away from me!

Picture caption:The Great Vat, Heidelberg

I was staying in a nearby suburb but felt duty-bound to investigate the downtown area. Heidelberg itself is renowned for its old university (the best in Germany, according to The Times), printing connections and picturesque Altstadt, as well as being a centre for science and technology. Overlooking the Altstadt and River Necker is the impressive castle, or Schloss. The local area is more renowned for wine production than beer and inside the Schloss is the Grosses Fass, or Great Vat, the world's largest wine barrel, which is capable of holding around 220,000 litres. Originally used to store the local wine tithe, it's so large they built a dance floor on top of it. Unfortunately, free samples were not available, so I headed back into town.

Picture caption:The Vetter Brauerei

My second night was a little more successful than the first. I had a very agreeable, if rich, meal at the Hackteufel Gasthaus in Heidelberg, which I augmented with a glass of Köstritzer Schwarzbier. The Köstritzer brand is probably the best-known example of the Schwarzbier dark lager style, although the beer isn't easy to find in the UK. The 'black beer' style differs rather a lot from our own Stouts and Porters. It doesn't have quite the body of our dark beers but it's a lot smoother and goes down very easily. Dark malt flavours and aromas are present but it's clearly more in the German lager style, though lacking the bitterness of your average Pils.

Picture caption:A view from a table: The Vetter Brauerei

Later in the week I was lucky enough to find time to visit the Vetter Brauhaus, which is right next door to Hackteufel. This fine establishment was doing roaring food and beer trade on what was an average weeknight. I managed to find a small table amongst the long benches and sampled the traditional food on offer. After the heavy meal earlier in the week, I decided to opt for something a little plainer. The Weisswürst with pretzel that I ordered was excellent and a perfect accompaniment for the brewery's beer. I ordered a Hell (or Pale) beer, which Vetter's brews all year round. It's offered neat or as a Radler. I stayed away from the latter and got myself a halbes (half-litre) of the uncut version. Vetter's Hell is slightly sweet but tangy, refreshing and easy to drink. In fact, it's one of the best beers I've had in ages. Various seasonal beers are brewed throughout the year. As Christmas was round the corner, Vetter's was brewing its Weinachtsbock, which was sweeter and ever so slightly richer (and somewhat darker) than the Hell.

One beer I didn't try was Vetter 33, which at 33 degrees Plato, the brewery claims to have the highest Original Gravity in the world. This is debateable, for sure, but it would still pack a punch for the foolhardy.

Acknowledgements & Links

Heidelberg

Heidelberg's web site is like town council web sites in Britain. There's lots of information for residents but also information on festivals and local attractions that will be of interest to visitors. It's mostly in German but there's an English section and a link to the local Convention and Visitors' Bureau.

Good Beer Guide to South West Germany

Steve Heathman's excellent Good Beer Guide to South West Germany was my initial source of information on beer outlets in Heidelberg. Heidelberg is in North Baden Württemberg.

Bamberg and Franconia

Although it covers a completely different part of Germany, John Conen's Bamberg and Franconia: Germany's Brewing Heartland - A guide to beers, breweries and pubs is a very useful book for those visitors who plan on travelling further afield. It's available from the Campaign for Real Ale's online shop, or by post. Also see the Franconia Beer Guide web site, maintained by Fred Waltman.

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