Even if ETA Hoffman’s guest appearance in Bamberg was quite short, there are many things in the cathedral city that remind us of his almost five-year stay. The municipal theatre, where Hoffmann was first Kapellmeister and then dramaturge and painter, bears his name, there are several sculptures of him and his works in the city and in the park, his former home and places he frequently frequented are marked with plaques, his frescoes can be found in Adalbert Friedrich Marcus’ poet’s retreat at the Altenburg and numerous institutions are named after him. According to tradition, Hoffman did not have a particularly happy time in the World Heritage Site, but the people of Bamberg still honor him.
A very special honor and one that would certainly have given the alcohol-loving writer a special treat is a beer in his name. ETA Hoffmann is a dark lager penned by Mahrs Bräu. Their liquid homage to the hero of romance was created for his 200th anniversary and celebrates him with a strong malt abundance and hints of hops from the Hallertau varieties Perle and Select. The chestnut-brown specialty smells and tastes of tenderly melting milk chocolate, caramel, dark bread, red wild berries and roasted nuts. A gentle hop note and a complementary bitterness complete the play of aromas.