As some of you may know from previous posts, I (aka Mrs. Beerbuzz) was in Germany for two weeks at the end of October. Because I knew I would be nowhere near Bavaria and because I knew I would not have a lot of personal time, I didn’t really do any research into visiting breweries. But as any spiritual beer-girl knows, the beer-force is always with you and while I was not actively seeking out beer or breweries, they somehow sensed – and found - me.
This was the case in Munster, a small college town of about 300,000 in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. On the first night of my group’s arrival, our German hosts (shout-out to Andreas, Tobias, Christina, and Beatrice at Westphalia Wilhelms Universitat) took us to the Pinkus Muller Brauerei.
It’s not that I didn’t feel like I was in Germany while in Berlin or Hamburg, but once I stepped into the Pinkus Muller Brauerei, I could see and smell bits and pieces of Germany as I had always imagined it. We sat at heavy picnic-style dark, wooden tables that were scarred with the carvings of numerous patrons, and we were served by a smiling waiter who could have been my grandfather. Our food and drink were served in folksy blue and grey heavy ceramic pottery, while photos of seven generations of Mullers and Pinkus Mullers smiled down upon us from the plaster and wood-beamed walls.
Our hosts encouraged us to order “traditional” German fare, and that we did. Along with our fresh-from-the-kegs brew (first an Alt with dinner, then a Heffe for dessert), I had sausage, ham, fried potatoes, and sauerkraut. It was seriously the most wonderful gastronomic experience I have had in many years- I only wish Mr Beerbuzz had been there to experience it with me. But since he couldn’t, I am including pictures with this post. Even though you can’t smell or taste the photos, I hope you enjoy them. And by all means, if anyone else has had the pleasure of visiting the Pinkus Muller Brauerei, please chime in with your comments. Enjoy!
This was the case in Munster, a small college town of about 300,000 in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. On the first night of my group’s arrival, our German hosts (shout-out to Andreas, Tobias, Christina, and Beatrice at Westphalia Wilhelms Universitat) took us to the Pinkus Muller Brauerei.
It’s not that I didn’t feel like I was in Germany while in Berlin or Hamburg, but once I stepped into the Pinkus Muller Brauerei, I could see and smell bits and pieces of Germany as I had always imagined it. We sat at heavy picnic-style dark, wooden tables that were scarred with the carvings of numerous patrons, and we were served by a smiling waiter who could have been my grandfather. Our food and drink were served in folksy blue and grey heavy ceramic pottery, while photos of seven generations of Mullers and Pinkus Mullers smiled down upon us from the plaster and wood-beamed walls.
Our hosts encouraged us to order “traditional” German fare, and that we did. Along with our fresh-from-the-kegs brew (first an Alt with dinner, then a Heffe for dessert), I had sausage, ham, fried potatoes, and sauerkraut. It was seriously the most wonderful gastronomic experience I have had in many years- I only wish Mr Beerbuzz had been there to experience it with me. But since he couldn’t, I am including pictures with this post. Even though you can’t smell or taste the photos, I hope you enjoy them. And by all means, if anyone else has had the pleasure of visiting the Pinkus Muller Brauerei, please chime in with your comments. Enjoy!
Well said, mrsbeerbuzz. Your description kind of reminds me of Ludwig's Garten in Philly (dark wooden tables, various portraits on the wall, etc) before it closed.
ReplyDeleteHey, mrsbuzz,
ReplyDeleteGreat effort at describing the experience! You stumbled into one of those situations that every serious beer aficionado is blessed with at least once in this life: a sublime experience that was meant to be!
Thanks for sharing!
Glad to hear you liked it. While my hubby could not join me, I did sneak back some beer (not Pinkus, though) back for him in my suitcase!
ReplyDeleteYes, it was a totally unexpected experience! And everyone in my group fully appreciated it whether they liked beer or not!