Behind Nikl Bräu is Mike Schmitt, an ambitious, home-loving, down-to-earth brewer. But as we know, behind every successful man there is a strong woman. Behind Mike there are three powerful women: his wife Alexandra, his mother and mother-in-law have Mike's back and ensure that the guests of the Nikl brewery are not only served excellent beer, but also delicious Franconian specialties.
The Schmitts from Pretzfeld revived a very special tradition in 2019: home brewing. In the past, the farmers who supplied the brewer with raw materials could buy their beer at a reduced tax rate and directly from the fermentation vat. They filled the beer into their own barrels and stored it at home. This meant they were free to influence the taste and carbonation level themselves. Mike Schmitt now wants to re-establish this tradition and inspires beer fans from near and far. From now on, people meet every first Friday of the month at Nikl Bräu, drink a cozy beer together and at the end can take their own barrel of beer with them, which can then be stored as desired. But Mike Schmitt is not only reviving this tradition: After the beer war with neighboring Ebermannstadt broke out in 1510 and this community from then on determined who got the brewing rights and who didn't, things looked pretty meager in Pretzfeld for a long time as far as beer was concerned. Now, in addition to the well-known Pretzfeld fruit juice, there is also Pretzfeld beer again. Not only the people of Pretzfeld celebrate their Mike as an ambassador of tradition and region, we also celebrate the ambitious brewer for his commitment. And for the excellent beer that the hop artist apparently brews on the side. Mike brews classics such as his light lager or his dark Michala Kellerbier with artisanal perfection. But experiments are also being carried out in Franconian Switzerland. This has resulted in favorites such as the Old Django or his Village Bock.
The name Nikl-Bräu goes back to the ancestors of Mike's wife Alexandra. Her great-grandfather was known in Pretzfeld as Nikl-Hans, while his father was known to everyone as Nikl-Karl. The first Nikl in the series and ultimately the namesake was Alexandra's great-grandfather's grandfather: his first name was Nikolaus and he was the first Nikl, to whom the names of his sons and grandchildren were added. Our favorite is Nikl-Mike, although we are not sure whether that is actually a thing in Pretzfeld. What is certain, however, are the awards that Mike has already received for his beer. The outstanding quality of his beers has been rewarded with a gold medal and numerous other prizes.
Enjoy!
Brauerei Nikl
Egloffsteiner Straße 19
91362 Pretzfeld
Deutschland 
