The story behind one or Munich’s favorite beers
What is the secret of Augustiner beer? Is it the fact that water for the beer is pumped from a private well 230 meters underneath the city? That the brewery still delivers its beer to outlets in traditional wooden barrels? Or that, in an age of commercialism that has seen other Munich breweries merge (Löwenbräu/Spaten) or be taken over by out-of-town players (Paulaner), Augustiner remains the only local family-run brewery in the city?
Whatever the reason, it is difficult to extract an opinion from Augustiner-Bräu Wagner KG themselves. The brewery, based on Landsberger Strasse, has no press department and it is notoriously hard to attain a quote from, let alone an interview with, a company official. This is typical of Augustiner’s approach. The brewery prefers to let the beer speak for itself—and it does so with resounding success.So good is the reputation of Augustiner beer that the brewery manages to sell more than 900,000 hl (2003) of the elixir annually. While this output makes it the smallest of the six Munich breweries, it has achieved this without indulging in any commercial advertising—ever. That’s quite a feat given that the history of Augustiner spans some 677 years, which makes it the oldest brewery in Munich.
The story of Augustiner began in 1328, when Augustine monks began brewing beer at the site of what today is the Augustinerbräu Tavern on Neuhauser Strasse. One of two city breweries founded by monks (the other is Paulaner), the brewery enjoyed an outstanding reputation until 1803, when secularist Napoleonic reforms put control of monasteries in the hands of the state. While the monks quit the city in disgust, their name remained associated with the brewery, which passed into the hands of Anton and Therese Wagner in 1829. Since then, Augustiner has been run by descendents of the Wagners. The beers themselves hark back to the recipes of the Augustine monks, while the ingredients have been, as far as possible, always sourced from Bavarian suppliers.
The brewing process takes place behind the historically protected facade on Landsberger Strasse. The beer itself, with a few exceptions, is delivered to businesses within only a 200-km radius of Munich. In addition, unlike many other breweries, Augustiner has never sublicensed its beer because of concerns about quality and reputation. Even during the “super summer” of 2003, Augustiner refused to increase production at the expense of quality, even though by doing so they could have easily sold substantially more beer. Such devotion to quality and local tradition is respected by Munich beer drinkers. This, in turn, has helped ensure Augustiner’s survival as the number of breweries within the city has gradually whittled down from 27 in 1900 to the current six. The brewery offers eight distinctive beers. These range from the rich, pepper and malt aromas of the Augustiner Edelstoff to the yeasty, rusty-brown Weissbier and the bitter, toffee taste of the Dunkel, as well as the seasonal Bock and Wies’n-Edel. The latter is Augustiner’s Oktoberfest special and particularly loved because it is the only beer at the festival still poured from traditional wooden kegs. While anyone who has ever visited Bavaria will have their own favorite beer from among the state’s 450 different breweries, you can’t go too far wrong by pulling out a crate of cold “Augusts” at a party. As a group, Augustiner beers are regarded as the best brewed in Munich, but it is the Lagerbier Hell that is the flagship beer of the company. A delicate blend of sweet malt and spicy hops, it is known locally as “Green Label” or “Green Monk.”
In an A–Z guide to Munich for visitors, the Süddeutsche Zeitung in 2004 reported that, contrary to popular opinion, there was no law requiring students to drink Augustiner though “Green Monks” and “Bishop Staffs” (Edelstoff—also nicknamed “Schädelstoff”) seem to be a compulsory feature at all university parties. The SZ did admit—tongue-in-cheek—that the fact that children learn the date of the brewery’s founding in schools may be one reason why the company did not need to advertise.
Given its popularity, Augustiner would seem to have a solid base for the future, but nothing is guaranteed in today’s market. In the past ten years, average annual consumption has fallen from 142 to 125 liters, as Germans worry more about their waistlines and the numbers of young Germans shrink. Against this background, international players such as the Dutch company Brau Holding International AG and the Belgian brewing corporation Interbrew are active within the local market. With their huge marketing budgets, aggressive shelf-space strategies and economies of scale, these conglomerates (which own majority shares in Paulaner and Spaten-Franziskaner, respectively) have already driven many other companies out of the game.
Will Augustiner with its proud, taciturn tradition be able to hold out against market forces and eroding earnings as the last local German-owned brewery? It is a battle that will be played out in pubs, supermarkets and liquor stores near you in the next few years.
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