Bamberg alone has 14 breweries and MANY more in the surrounding area. I offer everything from 2 hour to 5 day tours and anything in between! I'm Patrick Murphy, certified Doemens Beer Sommelier, beer judge and local beer aficionado. I will take you on the beer & brewery tour of a lifetime! I was born in Nuremberg Military Hospital and was lucky enough to have spent most of my life living in and ar
ound Bamberg - The Beer Capital of Germany! Since I grew up as a military brat in Bamberg and lived a few years in Kentucky, New York and Ohio, I speak perfect English and German. I know this town and the area around it like the back of my hand. I know most of the brewers and owner/operators personally. I'm always keeping up with new openings and beer/food offerings by the breweries and beer bars. I don't need to read into it or look it up...I LIVE here, I know where to go and what events are going on at any given time! If you book a tour with me, you will be in the rare situation of being shown around Bamberg & Franconia by a LOCAL, who speaks fluent, understandable English and is also knowledgeable in local culture, history AND beer in general! I grew up with a special understanding of history and the unique culture of where I live. It will be a privilege for me to share this appreciation and knowledge, of this one of a kind beer paradise with YOU! THE TOURS
These aren't your quickly booked, spur of the moment 2 hour beer tours, where you are rushed through the city and breweries by someone who just read up on the subject that summer and is hard to understand due to his accent-heavy English! One day, five day and customized tours to fit your shedule and interests! The main focus is the city of Bamberg, Germany (THE Beer Capital of Germany!) and the surrounding region of Franconia in Bavaria. I have contacts all over Europe and can also offer guided tours to other destinations heavy in beer culture, like Prague, Berlin and Munich! You could come back to Bamberg and Franconia MANY times and still not have seen all the breweries or drank all the beers! Bamberg, despite having 15 breweries and being considered THE beer city in Germany, is only the tip of the iceberg. The relatively small region of Franconia has HUNDREDS of breweries. I have been visiting breweries here for YEARS and still haven't made it to all of them! Bamberg alone will take 2-3 days. The district around the city alone, has many more great breweries. Many have their own Gasthaus (Inn) and have been family owned for generations. The next bigger cities are also quite interesting. Nuremberg to the south has an ever growing craft beer scene with many new brew pubs and breweries having been founded within the last few years. Kulmbach was also a big beer town in it's heyday. It still has a few breweries and a very interesting brewery/beer museum. A relatively big and well known brewery in Europe, but still small enough and down to earth to run an awesome brewpub with hundreds of international beers and their own traditional "Maisel" beers and very popular "Maisel & Friends" modern beer creations. In between all these cities is the Franconian country side. A beautiful and historic area with breath taking views, great food, amazing beer and colorful history! To the West are rolling hills along the Main River with even more vineyards than breweries. To the North is Bad Staffelstein, a spa town with one of the three "holy mountains" of Franconia...the Staffelberg. Surrounding that are another nine breweries. To the South we go through Forchheim, another historic small town with four breweries. To the East and Southeast is one of the greatest beer and outdoor regions in the world. Franconian Switzerland (German: Fränkische Schweiz). It was named so, due to it's castles, towns and landscape reminiscent of parts of Switzerland. This area has some of the smallest and hard to get to breweries with great beer and food. The atmosphere here while drinking a beer is undescribable! Taking part in these tours will create memories that will last a lifetime and make you wanting to come back for more! BAMBERG - THE BEER CAPITAL OF GERMANY
A town many people have never heard of, unless you’re a history buff, ex-military or a beer aficionado! Beer? Yes, beer…but I’ll get to that in a second. Bamberg is a very historic town in the northern part of Bavaria (a state in southern Germany). It was the center of the Holy Roman Empire for a short time when Emperor Henry II (Kaiser Heinrich II) and Empress Kunigunde made it their official residence. Both are local patron saints of Bamberg, as the city owes them a great deal in regards to wealth, infrastructure, culture and buildings. Both are buried in Bamberg’s Cathedral, along with Pope Clement II, the only Pope buried north of the Alps. Bamberg was left almost unscathed during World War II, which is why it has an old town center with centuries old buildings and architecture that will literally take you back in time when you visit! It was the site of an US Army installation from 1945-2014. It was one of the most popular duty stations for American soldiers. Many of them return with their families regularly to visit. Beer…oh yeah. Bamberg is THE Beer Capital of Germany! Now many would think it to be Munich with the Oktoberfest…, so why Bamberg? Well, Munich is awesome and Oktoberfest is definitely a Bucket List worthy event, but Bamberg has the small town, medieval rustic flair that many people seek when traveling and drinking beer. With a population of about 80,000 people, 15 breweries within city limits and about 300 in the region of Franconia surrounding it, the area has the highest density of breweries per capita in THE WORLD. Bamberg is famous for its Rauchbier (smoked beer). Hundreds of years ago, most beers had a smoky taste to them, as the only way to dry malt effectively at the time was to dry it over an open fire. The malt picked up the smoky aromas and this tradition lived on in Bamberg. The breweries are only the first of the “holy trinity” in Bamberg though. With “Kaspar Schulz” Bamberg also has the oldest company in the world that produces brewing equipment. This company dates back to the 1600’s and ships their brewing tanks and equipment all over the world! Then there is “Weyermann® Malts”. Not the biggest malt company in the world…but the most renowned and legendary! With over 85 styles of specialty malts and delivering to over 135 countries, this family owned business has been around since 1879 and has had a profound influence on the worldwide brewing scene! At first glance, the historic city of Bamberg may not look like it has much to do with the modern craft beer movement. Steeped in tradition, with a history and culture over a thousand years old, a walk through the old part of town is like stepping back in time! Churches, cathedrals, palaces, old city walls and century old inns (called a Gasthaus here) around every corner, make the history come alive. Oh…and of course, there are the breweries. Many of them are centuries old and tied to a Gasthaus of their own. They have been the heart and soul of the city for centuries. Most have been family owned and operated for generations. Located in the Upper Franconia region of the state of Bavaria in southern Germany, Bamberg has 15 breweries within city limits and HUNDREDS in the near vicinity! Bamberg, and the towns around it that belong to the Bamberg city district, cover an area of about 472 square miles (1,223 square kilometers) and boast about 65 breweries! Upper Franconia, which boasts the world record for highest number of breweries per capita, is only about 2,782 square miles. There are over a 160 breweries in this small area alone. All of Franconia (Upper, Middle and Lower) covers an area of 8,883 square miles and is home to over 300 breweries! That’s an area just a little bigger than New Jersey or Wales…! Despite the very traditional ways of the local populace, the worldwide craft beer movement is starting to leave its mark even here. Through the renewed interest in local history, cuisine and drinks, many breweries have started revisiting old beer styles and recipes long forgotten. A growing number of young, innovative brewers taking over their parents businesses and putting centuries old knowledge and recipes to use, are infusing the scene with new energy and direction. Bamberg’s breweries have survived plagues, wars, bombings, fascism, industrialization, Globalization and yes, even Corona. Actually Bamberg gained two new breweries within city limits DURING the Corona Crisis, which put the count up to 15! This is a one of a kind city with amazing beer, cuisine, scenery and history! Let me take you back in time, on a tour of my hometown!
