Bamberg brewery Schlenkerla are renowned for one particular style, the enigmatic Rauchbier, or ‘smoke beer’. Schlenkerla are a thoroughly traditional operation, drying their own malt, which few breweries have done since the industrial revolution. And that makes for one tasty, smoky brew.

Though most smoked beers now use modern gas or electric heating methods, Schlenkerla have held tight to the skills developed by generation after generation of brewers, making their Rauchbier one of the last old-style brews on the market.

Schlenkerla is as much a beer hall as it is a brewer. To really experience the beer in its home environment, a trip to beautiful, Gothic Bamberg is in order. The city is worth exploring in its own right, but the Schlenkerla tavern is a riot of dark oak beams and ornate flourishes.

That just leaves the name. Schlenkerla roughly translates as ‘dangling’, describing the tipsy stagger of a rosy-faced drinker, apparently a nickname for an early brewer with a hobble. So grab a Rauchbier and get dangle-y.