"Ancient handicraft tradition is coming back": Brewery opens again in Garmisch

Created: 07/05/2022Updated: 07/05/2022 2:33 p.m

By: Catherine Bromberger

Want to supply their homeland with genuine local beer: Antonius Huber (left) and Alexander Müller are planning to brew in early 2023 on Brauhausstraße and bring an old craft back to Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

© Thomas Very

Garmisch gets a brewery again.

Antonius Huber and Alexander Müller are thus realizing their dream: to bring a Garmisch beer onto the market - and to produce and bottle it in their home country.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen – Of course, some friends are privy to the plans.

into the negotiations.

Into the huge project that is becoming more concrete week by week.

What many of these friends want to know: whether the two can sleep.

"I sleep like a baby," says Alexander Müller.

After all, nothing happened overnight, everything developed step by step.

In addition, he and his partner Antonius Huber were working towards exactly that: their own brewery, in their homeland. That the Brauhaus Garmisch would return.

Now they are about to start construction.

"We can start any day," says Huber.

An approved construction plan has long been available.

He, too, has regained his sound sleep after receiving the loan approval from the bank.

The two are investing millions, but they do not name the exact sum.

Brewery in Garmisch again soon: Garmischer Hell is to be produced there at the beginning of 2023

In 2018, Müller and Huber presented their Garmischer Hell for the first time on May 1st at Richard-Strauss-Platz.

The recipe for this was created on the test facility that Müller - he takes care of the beer, Huber takes care of the administration and finances - set up on the former brewery site in the Garmisch district.

However, it was and is manufactured in Ingolstadt.

From the very beginning, the two wanted to change that and, says Huber, "supply our homeland with real local beer".

Then an opportunity arose.

The stonemasonry Falk closed, the 1328 square meter property - Huber has the number ready immediately, since Augustinerbräu was founded this year - including the building was for sale.

Now the entrepreneurs are leasing the area from the buyers, whose names they don't want to read in the newspaper.

If nothing comes up, Müller and Huber will start production in early 2023.

Garmisch beer from Brauhausstrasse 23 – how good that sounds to her ears.

And how right.

“An ancient handicraft tradition is finally coming back,” says Müller.

Brewery in Garmisch: Beer was brewed on Brauhausstraße until 1972

Right next door, Brauhausstraße 19, Garmisch beer was brewed until 1971, when Löwenbräu took over the business.

A short guest appearance.

1972 was finally the end of the day.

Müller's and Huber's predecessors produced about 30,000 hectoliters per year.

The two 39-year-olds want to get into something smaller.

The new plant is designed for 10,000 hectoliters.

Little, of course, compared to the big names - Augustiner produces around 1.7 million hectoliters of beer every year, Paulaner around six million.

But a lot compared to before: Currently around 1200 hectoliters of Garmisch beer are produced.

The two consider it extremely realistic to increase the amount almost tenfold.

This is based on experience.

For example, at the Starnberger Brauhaus or at Hoppe-Bräu in Waakirchen, they asked around and saw: The connection plays an important role, the sympathy factor.

“When you brew at home, you get that “we beer” feeling,” says Huber.

There is also another point: the two are expanding and changing the range.

Garmischer Hell, for example, will become a new beer.

This is Müller and Huber's response to popular demand.

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Garmischer Hell becomes a cellar beer, the Helle becomes a filtered beer

The "long-established beer expert", says Huber, who is used to Munich beers such as Augustiner and Co., drinks filtered light beer.

Not naturally cloudy, unfiltered like Garmischer.

It's definitely not going away, it's just getting a new name: Kellerbier.

All recipes are ready.

In any case, nothing has changed on the previous unfiltered product except for the label.

Müller, who studied biotechnology, worked out the one for the new light a long time ago.

Just like those for wheat beer.

"Many people ask about it." However, the entrepreneurs only consciously enter the market when it is 100 percent made in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Quality is the top priority for Garmischer Brauhaus: top raw materials and our own laboratory

Müller emphasizes one thing: the quality.

"We want to set ourselves apart from industrial beer." In other words: he only wants to use top raw materials - the 1A water quality helps with that.

He will even set up his own laboratory.

"Anything but usual in our size." But a must for Müller.

Independence was just as important to both of them.

This includes its own bottling plant.

Brewing, bottling, labeling, delivery - everything stays in-house.

In addition, they can use it to achieve another goal.

So far they have been selling their Garmischer Hell in the slim so-called NRW bottle.

With their own brewery, they switch to the bulbous euro version.

"Finally," says Huber.

"We wanted this format from the start."

Brewery in Garmisch: New format of Garmischer Hell

But there was only the NRW option in cooperation with the Ingolstädter Bauerei.

Your bottling plant is set to another dimension: 0.33 litres.

New recipes, new beers, new bottles - that's not all.

There is also a new size.

In the future, the Helle will also be available as a 0.33 liter variant.

In the future, the two of them will no longer be able to do it together.

The company is to grow by an additional eight employees plus a beer driver.

Also nothing that robs them of their sleep.

Relaxed, they look at their future plans.

But they know there will come a moment when the calm will be over: as soon as the brewing equipment is installed.

"It will.

.

.

phew," says Mueller.

"Oh yes," says Huber and takes a deep breath.

The big moment when your Garmisch brewery is a reality.

Beer license: This is how everyone can support the brewery project

Antonius Huber and Alexander Müller want to brew a beer for their homeland and its residents.

That alone is not enough for them.

“We want to take people with us” and get them enthusiastic about their project, emphasizes Huber.

That's how they came up with the idea of ​​the beer tickets.

In addition, everyone has the opportunity to support the Brauhaus Garmisch project and at the same time purchase beer at a special price.

The principle is simple:

Because that's how long the bills run.

Huber and Müller offer different variants: It starts at 250 euros, but there are 30 liters of beer per year, making a total of 210 liters.

"Better than any capital investment," says Huber, who used to work in finance.

Because private individuals and restaurateurs not only get a discount on the current beer price with the beer ticket, they also secure it for seven years - no matter how it may rise.

Those who start larger - the 5000-euro variant with 600 liters of beer per year is aimed primarily at companies - also get a pallet with their own label.

Depending on the amount of the voucher, supporters also benefit from promotions such as guided tours through the brewery and limited varieties.

As soon as the first bottles of Helle are produced and filled at Brauhausstraße 23 at the beginning of 2023, beer license holders can simply pick up their Premiere-Tragl.

Information is available at brauhausgarmisch.de/bierschein.

(cat)

You can find more current news from the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen at Merkur.de/Garmisch-Partenkirchen.