Spaten
Spaten is one of Munich's six major beer brands. Its beer brewing history dates back to 1397 when a brewer named Hans Welser set up a brewery in central Munich, originally named Welser Prew.
The ownership of the once tiny brewery changed hands many times until 1807 when Royal Hofbräu brewmaster, Gabriel Sedlmayr, took over Munich's smallest brewery, by then known as Spaten. The still today used logo depicting a spade symbolising a malt shovel bears his initials. His sons continue the business and in 1867 Spaten becomes the largest brewery in Munich, as was then measured by malt consumption.
Spaten made history by introducing a light-coloured Vienna-style beer at Munich's 1872 Oktoberfest. The beer, known as Märzenbier, was originally allowed to be brewed only between September and April and stored in ice cellars until the Oktoberfest. The Märzenbier beer was introduced in the Schottenhamel Festzelt and became an instant success as other beer supplies ran out. The Märzenbier is a slightly stronger Helles (lager). It is now more commonly known as Oktoberbier. In 1922 Spaten and Franziskaner and Löwenbräu unified into one company. In 1972 the group issued public stock for the first time. Through mergers and acquisitions the the Germany brewery eventually became part of the Belgian-Brazilian Interbrew (Inbew) conglomerate.
Spaten brands include Spaten Münchner Hell, Spaten Oktoberfestbier and Spaten Pils. Spaten beer can be found in the following beer gardens:
- Franziskaner Garten
- Gasthaus Siebenbrunn
- Gasthof Feringasee
- Hirschau
- Kugler Alm
- Landgasthof Langwied
- Maxhof
- Sankt Emmeramsmühle
- Viktualienmarkt
- Waldwirtschaft Großhesselohe
- Wirtshaus Zamdorfer
At the Oktoberfest, Spaten is sold in Schottenhamel, Ochsenbraterei, Hippodrom and Glöcke Wirt