Upper Bavaria in the Beer Olympus

Created: 08/01/2023, 21:00

By: Andreas Mayr

That's it: Dionys Arnold from the bachelor's club presents the winning Helle from Schongau © ANDREAS MAYR

What the scepter is for an ordinary queen, a glass of beer is for Sarah Jäger.

Since May 25, 2022, the woman from Schwandorf has ruled over Bavarian beer, 40 varieties and 4000 brands in all.

No small empire.

At the weekend, Bavaria's beer queen traveled to the southern border of her dominion, to Oberammergau, and took part in the stag club's beer tasting.

Oberammergau

- It was about no less than choosing the best beer in the Oberland, which is a highly demanding task by nature, as the beer queen explains.

"If you talk to the brewers, that's the most difficult beer: because the customer always wants the same taste," says Jäger.

So we're talking about the highest art of brewing here.

The idea, it must be said, arose out of a beer mood.

They sat together at the club and discussed one of the cardinal questions of Bavarian culture: Which beer is actually the best?

A few light later there was a witty and creative plan.

Why not bring together the Oberland breweries in a blind tasting and choose the best Helle south of Munich.

The bachelors and bachelors – the club has 100 members – are an active group anyway.

In 2021 they brought 500 people to the open-air cinema.

Last year they put up a maypole just before the passion.

Now they moved around 500 beer drinkers and connoisseurs to the Ammergauer house.

Celebrities as guests: Bavaria's beer queen Sarah Jäger honors the people of Oberammergau © ANDREAS MAYR

The Oberland brewers found the idea just as interesting.

Twelve breweries from the four districts of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Weilheim-Schongau, Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen and Miesbach took part.

Each delivered 500 liters of barley juice.

On the evening before the competition, the makers around David Lück, Florian Maderspacher and Leander Marzell sealed the barrels.

Not even the helpers at the bar knew which brand they were selling.

"To clear up the prejudices once and for all," says Lisa Heigl, one of the organizers.

They invited the public to act as jurors.

Young and old, men and women like Andrea Pest, who came from Graswang with her friends.

She actually prefers to drink red wine, "but a cold beer like this is always fine," says Pest.

On New Year's Eve, she found out about the tasting and immediately decided among friends: They'll take part.

For fun.

The men hired them for the driving service.

This is how equality works.

After all, Bavarian beer is not only brewed for men.

"I'm a fan of the light.

I like it a little bit bitter,” says Pest.

Like everyone else, she was given an evaluation card.

The scale of marks ranged from "very good" to "plempl" - and some beers (we won't name names to be on the safe side) were properly applauded by the tasters.

A toast to the coziness: The Graswanger women's group around (2nd from left) Andrea Pest enjoys the convivial gathering.

© ANDREAS MAYR

You got the winning beer at the tap from Dionys Arnold.

Some joked that the good man practically praised the beer for first place.

The numbers don't really support the story.

The distance to the second was too big.

The light beer from the Schongauer Brauhaus won “quite clearly”, emphasizes Lisa Heigl.

"A lot of people voted for it." The naturally cloudy Schongauer Helle was comparatively mild.

With a "slightly malty note", so advertise the makers.

The beers from the Reutberg monastery brewery and the Garmisch brewery from Alexander Müller, who, like some of his colleagues on site, tried to taste his light beers, also landed on the podium.

There were certificates for the breweries.

The Schongauers get their days sent by mail because they missed the award ceremony.

The party in the Ammergau house lasted until half past eleven in the evening.

Or should one say better in the Ammergau brewery?

Because the women and men from the bachelor club had leaned the hall against a brewery and beer tent.

We drank at beer tables.

Those who felt the bladder went to the "Scheißheisl" as it said on the humorous wooden signs.

Three music groups played on the stage, including the music band from Oberammergau.

Late in the evening, Heigl said there was a "great atmosphere".

How much is left over for the approximately 100 club members at the end is calculated for the day.

They don't yet know what they're going to use the money for.

In any case, they are looking for a club room.

A place where more ideas of this kind should come out.