Hofbräu has a lot of history. A big, Bavarian bucket of the stuff, accumulated over the last 400 years (and counting). Originally founded by Wilhelm V, Duke of Bavaria in 1589, the brewery’s original home is now one of Munich’s oldest beer halls.

Hofbräu began life as the brewery to the nearby royal residence, and Wilhelm’s son, Duke Maximilian I, gave Hofbräu a helping hand by granting them a monopoly on the production of wheat beer, a style he himself favoured over darker brews. A couple of decades later, the invading army of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden were all set to burn the place down, but for the gift of some 600,000 barrels of Hofbräuhaus beer and a few hostages. And that only takes us to 1632.

Cut to the mid 20th century, when American GIs returning from service in Munich brought with them iconic mugs emblazoned with the brewery’s ‘HB’ initials, quickly making the Hofbräuhaus Munich’s top tourist attraction, and fuelling demand for beers, bars, and paraphernalia all over Europe.

These days, Hofbräu is part owned by the Bavarian government, making them one of only two breweries in Munich to escape global brewery ownership. A passionate declaration of loyalty by the enterprise most responsible for exporting Bavarian culture the world over.