Best Brew Pubs

The Quest for the Holy Grain - Best Brew Pubs

Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Hausbrauerei Domhof
Große Himmelsgasse 6
67346 Speyer, Germany
+49 6232 67440

Hausbrauerei Domhof is a brewery in Speyer, Germany. It's a large restaurant just across from the even larger Romanesque Cathedral. It was very crowded early on a Sunday afternoon; probably parishioners relaxing after a hard morning mass.

The entrance is guarded by a hostess. She takes one to the large front dining room, or around it to one of several alcoves, or in this Questor's case, around back to the bar. It is mostly a service bar, though there are some seats around back. There are only about 6 bar tables, but most of the patrons are here to eat.

Domhof has four regular Biers on tap as well as two seasonals. The Pils seemed unique in that it was quite bitter, but enjoyable. The dunkel, too, is not as sweet as some others, but quite refreshing.
If the weather is accomodating, patrons can sit outside in the Biergarten in the shade of the cathedral.

Want some brew to take home? Domhof has 5-litre cans available in the restaurant.
If you want to organize an event you can also order barrels from 10 to 50 litres. Their 'Speyerer' beer-can which contains 2 litres is also a very popular souvenir.

Wormser Hagenbräu
Am Rhein 3
67547 Worms, Germany
+49 6241 921100

Hagenbräu is a large brewpub on the Rhein river with a view of the Worms bridge.
The motif is Wedding Reception; a large well-lit space seating several hundred, with a few alcoves each seating perhaps 20.
Up front to the right is the bar which is dominated by the brewery.
Hagenbräu offers the three standard beers...a helles, a dunkel, and a weizen, as well as a seasonal.
In the shop, one can pick up Hagenbräu beer to go, in all sorts of containers, as well as some beer noodles.
The food menu is extensive and most of the guests seemed to have ventured there to have a fine meal.

Eisgrub-Bräu
Weissliliengasse 1a
Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate Germany 55116
0613 22 11 04

Shrouded in tenting in preparation for the Mardi Gras weekend, the Eisgrub-Bräu brewpub was hard to find.
Eisgrub-Bräu is in a large old building just a short walk from downtown Mainz.
Upon entering, one has the choice of left to the brewing area, right to the dining room, or up a few stairs to the bar.
I choose the bar.
The brewing operation is visible from the bar and one can walk over and lean in to watch.
There are nooks and alcoves with tables scattered about, and a cement walkway back up to more space which passes the open air fermenters.
The whole area is dimly lit, but not in a foreboding way.
Though they advertise the three standard beers, only the unfiltered helles was available.

Brauhaus am Markt
Marktstr. 9a
67655 Kaiserslautern, Germany
+49 631 61316

Brauhaus am Markt is an American-style brewpub located at the end of Market street in downtown Kaiserslautern. The brewing operation is visible and open between the bar area and the dining area. The large bar seats about 18, and they have 4 of their own beers on tap, three regular and a seasonal. The regular beers, Helles, Hefe Weizen, and Dunkel, were true to style, but the seasonal, Nikolas, a Christmas beer, was excellent. At right is a photo of an afternoon well-spent at Brauhaus am Markt.