Spalter beer history

Hop tradition

Middle Franconia is beer Franconia. In hardly any other region of the world are there so many small, regional breweries as here. However, the Stadtbrauerei Spalt (municipal brewery) is a special feature even for our region: The only municipal brewery in Germany is embedded in the oldest hop-growing region in Germany, characterized by a history of over 1,000 years.

Spalt, the Franconian Merano

Spalt has always been surrounded by hop forest, which earned him the saying "Spalt, the Franconian Merano". The first references to the Spalter hops can be found as early as 1376. The high lupulin content makes the Spalter aroma hops a sought-after raw material worldwide.

Humulus lupulus - Hopfen

Hopfen wurde zuerst als Heilpflanze verwendet, fand aber wegen seiner konservierenden Wirkung im Mittelalter Eingang in das Brauwesen. Die Beschränkung der Bierwürze auf Hopfen im bayerischen Reinheitsgebot von 1516 verlieh seinem Anbau einen ersten Schub.

The world`s first hop seal

As early as 1538, the Spalter protected their "green gold" with the world's first hop seal. Furthermore, they brewed in the 450-year tradition exclusively according to the Bavarian Purity Law issued in 1516.

Hopfengut „Mühlreisig”

The centuries-old hop cultivation can still be felt today. High-gabled half-timbered and sandstone houses with floors one above the other were used for air drying hops until the turn of the century. The "Mühlreisig" hop farm, built around 1746, is probably the most impressive Middle Franconian hop farm that has been preserved.

History - Spalt`s municipal brewery

High season

During the hop harvest there was a lot of hustle and bustle in Spalt. Thousands of seasonal workers were needed to pick the hops by hand. The gendarmerie had to be significantly increased to keep the many migrant workers in check. With the introduction of harvesters, this turbulent era came to an end.

Dear and precious to the Spalter

Although hops were the most important commodity, the Spalter did not miss the opportunity to brew part of it themselves. Brewing has been going on in Spalt for over 450 years.

History municipal brewery Spalt

Proud brewery owners

The former "Lammsbrauerei", the last private brewery in Spalt at that time, became the municipal brewery Spalt (Stadtbrauerei Spalt) in 1879. To the delight of the citizens of Spalt who became proud brewery owners.

History municipal brewery Spalt

Geschichte Stadtbrauerei Spalt

Have we aroused your historical interest?

On the website of the Heimatverein Spalter Land e. V. (home society) you can learn much more about the history of the municipal brewery (in German language).

www.heimatverein-spalter-land.de

Heimatverein