 Brauerei Aying has a long-standing
reputation for excellence in beer and hospitality. Although Ayinger Brewery was founded in
a picturesque village 25 kilometers from Munich in 1878, the site of the Ayinger Gasthaus
Brewery Hotel has been one of Bavaria’s most famous restaurants for more than 500
years.
Ayinger beers are
characterized by their delicious balanced maltiness (not found in beers of the major
Munich breweries). Unlike the mass-market brewers, Ayinger uses a significant portion of locally-grown barley and wheat to produce their beers.
In a land of wonderful
breweries, Ayinger is considered a benchmark of excellence. For the past four years Ayinger has placed first in every category entered in the World Beer Championships.
A Visit to
Aying
Bavaria is home to some
wonderful breweries; many located in the villages that dot the landscape. Munich,
Bavaria's capital, is famous for their big breweries, however, just 40 minutes southeast
of the city by train, and 25 kilometers by auto, you'll find an award-winning craft and
specialties brewery(Brauerei Aying.
In the shadow of the
Alps, nestled in the 1200 year-old village of Aying (pronounced eye-ing), Brauerei Aying
produces 12 different styles of beers, more than most of the larger breweries. The Ayinger
Brewery has been owned and operated by the Inselkammer family since 1878 and represents
one of the most pleasant and interesting small breweries which are typical of Europe.
Brewing good beer is the premier duty of Aying, and people come from all over the world to
sample the wares.
In 1994, 1995, 1996 and
1997 Ayinger was named "Small Brewery of the Year." . Ayinger also walked away
with the highest award from the World Beer Championships, "One of the Top Ten
Breweries in the World" in 1997 for the fourth consecutive year; in 2003, 2004, and 2005 Ayinger received a first-place award for every beer entered into the World Beer Championships. Additionally,
Ayinger has received several awards from the Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft (DLG),
an independent organization that has been rating beers for a century using international
norms and blind taste tests.
The main brewery in Aying
brews bottom-fermented beers such as Jahrhundert-Bier, Altbairisch Dunkel and Celebrator
Dopplebock. Weizen beer (wheat beer) is the recognized specialty of the house and
includes Ayinger Brau-Weisse and Ur-Weisse. Aying also brews festival beers like Oktober
Fest-Marzen ("March beer," available in the fall).
About 100,000 hectoliters of Ayinger beers are produced every year.
Ayinger has a regular
distribution radius of approximately 100 kilometers in Bavaria and exports about 10% of
all beer produced abroad to Italy, the US, Spain, France and Scandinavia.
This is a region where
one can discover what little red riding hood must have been looking for when she went to
visit her grandmother. At times the forest on the road to Aying, sometimes sinister in
appearance, seems to swallow everything in sight - signs, road, car, driver - all in a single
bite. After rounding a corner here it is: Aying, a small, beautiful town set in lush,
green Bavarian landscape. There are quaint Bavarian-style houses (dating back to the
1500s) festooned with colorful, seasonal flowers. A maypole is the center of the square in
the north end of town. Resting in the shade of the center is a war memorial dating back to
the 1800s commemorating men from the town who perished in the various wars.
The site of the brewery
is composed of a cluster of small buildings, which continues on through the village into
the northern part of town. The old brewery building, once owned by Bernried Monastery, still preserves the natural ambience of the abbey before being sold to a non-religious organization; the new brewery completed in 1999 is a state-of-the-art marvel.
Retention of the old
facilities offers a pleasant surprise and a warm welcome to visitors. The brewhouse, the
heart of the brewery, is found inside an ivy-covered building with wide windows that look
out onto the square. Although a bustling center of business for the brewery, one will find
an inviting sense of privacy here.
Common sense suggested to
the Brau to decentralize the noisy bottling machines. The bottling facility and brewery, therefore, are
located nearly a mile from the village center. The bottling plant is a modern
building bound to the brewery by a pipeline. This facility contains the latest in high
speed bottling equipment.
According to Ayinger's
Export Manager, Gertrud Hein-Eickhoff, the brewery uses only the finest ingredients. The
water comes from the brewery's own well, and the hops used by Aying come from the famous
Hallertau region of north-central Bavaria and Spalt, an area near Nuremberg. Head
Brewmaster, Hans-Jurgen Iwan, claims Ayinger maintains its own yeast cultures and that the
barley is bought directly from Bavarian farmers.
Franz Inselkammer, the
Proprietor of Ayinger Brau, also runs a restaurant and guesthouse (traditionally called
the Gasthof) in the heart of the village. This has become a popular destination for those who
enjoy a rustic ambiance coupled with excellent food rich with flavor and tradition, and
high quality beers. Bouquets of fresh and dried flower arrangements abound in all the
public areas, and the traditional "hearts and flowers" paintings adorn nearly
every nook and cranny on armoires, beams, staircases and antique chests. Guests will
encounter regional and continental cuisine served in a warm atmosphere. The restaurant
offers candlelit dinners in front of a large, open fireplace, and this romantic scene is
completed with Dutch-blue tablecloths set with pretty china and glassware. The guestrooms
are all beautifully inviting, some are decorated with Bavarian-style painted furniture
while others have a more traditional elegant look. And, as a very special touch, beer is
left as a gift in every room! Scenery around the Gasthof is picturesque and includes the
famous onion-domed Aying village church, St. Andreas. In addition, the Gasthof hosts many
seasonal celebrations in Aying including an annual jazz festival every spring, and the
large beautiful beer gardens are a popular attraction during the summer season.
Brauereigasthof Hotel Aying
Zornedinger Strasse 2
85653 Aying bei Munchen, Germany
telephone: ++49(8095)90650
fax: ++49(8095)906566
Another attraction in
Aying is the local museum, Sixthof, which was a gift to the town given by the Inselkammer
family. This museum is home to a remarkable collection of early brewing equipment, farm
tools and furniture, some of which are 200 years old. Browsing through the museum gives
visitors a true sense of what life was like in this area in the past.
Aying visitors will agree
that a trip to the quaint village is well worth it - but do plan to stay at least an entire
day, if not overnight!
Breweriana collectors
take note: In 1995, Ayinger changed from using the traditional, short "Euro"
style bottles to the taller "NRW" bottles. Ayinger gladly sends labels and beer
mats to aficionados when requested and appreciates it when collectors supply self-stamped
envelopes (and German stamps where possible). Ayinger's beer mat designs change regularly.
Brauerei Aying also publishes a newspaper in German about the brewery. To get on the
mailing list, write to Brauerei Aying at:
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