The Schlenkerla in Bamberg is not a brewery, it is an institution. Every Bamberg resident and actually everyone else who has ever drunk beer knows the Schlenkerla. And even in the remotest corners of Asia you can usually find a few bottles of the infamous smoked beer on the shelf. The Schlenkerla is a cult and not without reason.

Liquid tradition

The first documented mention of Schlenkerla is in 1387 under the name Eberlein Breu. Even then, it was brewed on the Upper Stephansberg and only a few years later it was also served on Dominikanerstrasse. In 1866, the first member of the Graser and Trum families took over the brewery. Schlenkerla is still family-owned today. Matthias Trum is the venerable descendant of a whole series of Trums and Grasers, all of whom were brewers from Schlenkerla. In the traditional brewery, brewing is still done in the same way as in the past. This means that the malt needed for brewing is still dried over beechwood fires. In the past, this process was common practice because there were no other ways to dry the germinated barley quickly and without mold. Nowadays, this is usually done with coal and oil-powered heat exchangers. The special, characteristic taste of the smoked beer is created by the use of beechwood fires. The smoke penetrates the malt grains during the drying process and combines with them to create a special kind of flavor. Schlenkerla is one of the last breweries that still uses beech wood for drying and will probably stay that way. Chef Matthias Trum knows what makes his beer special and sticks to the old recipes and methods.

Schlenkerla – a way of life

To understand the hype surrounding Bamberger Rauchbier, you have to know what goes on in the bar of the long-established brewery. Even before you enter the bar, you will meet countless connoisseurs of the dark beer. In front of the Schlenkerla, whatever the weather and at what seems like any time of day, there is a crowd of people drinking Märzen . Here people drink, chat and gossip. It's all about seeing and being seen: Bamberg's high society rubs shoulders with tourists and students. Then you go into the so-called Schwemme, the inner courtyard of the Schlenkerla. Here, too, you will usually find a crowd. People are queuing in front of the bar window, the old men are sitting at the table drinking their beer and others are standing and chatting in between. In the very cozy rooms, things are more tranquil, even if the waitresses liven things up a lot. Anyone who orders a lemonade here will probably get strange looks and when it's busy on a Sunday, you can especially feel the Franconian charm of the ladies.

The Schlenkerla is simply a work of art with a truly Franconian taste.