| Münster Pub Guide |
| Bars - Brewpubs - Beer gardens |
| Introduction |
| This is a small guide to beer pubs in Münster. With around 1,000
pubs for only 250,000 inhabitants, the locals can't complain of having
nowhere to go. The city is famous for the idiosyncratic Pinkus Müller brewery.Their signature beer, Pinkus Müller Altbier, has little in common with that of Düsseldorf, apart from being another stubborn survivor of pre-lager German brewing. |
| Münster Beer As early as the 16th century Münster was a renowned brewing centre. The main product of the town's breweries was Keut, a beer brewed from wheat, barley and hops. During the 1500's it had gradually pushed out the older Grutbier (or Grussink). In 1591 the town boasted 56 Keut brewers, who exported as far as Emden, Osnabrück and Ravensberg. The trade became a major source of income and local officials checked the quality of every barrel before it left the town gates. |
| Keut Keut had developed in the low countries during the late Middle Ages, where it was called "Koyt" or "Koit". It was originally unhopped, being flavoured with a mixture of herbs called "gruit" (or "grut") and brewed from a combination of oats, wheat and barley. In the Netherlands, beer firm Jopen markets a Koyt inspired by a 15th century recipe from Haarlem. The spelling may have varied, but Keut remained closely associated with Münster well into the 18th century. The "Oeconomischen Encyclopädie" of 1773 has thse entries: "Koite, der eigenthümliche Nahme des Bieres zu Münster in Westphalen;" |
| Alt But in the 19th century, Keut itself was ousted by a new rival: Altbier. Few of the town's 54 breweries in 1872 made anything else. Münster's last Keut brewer, Heinrich Krimphove, died in 1908. By 1912 there were just 40 breweries left. Alt used to be served by handpump in Münster.The Pinkus Müller brewery history from 1966 has a photo of one that looks like it was still in use. The text says: "eine Handpumpe, die aus dem Faß das Glas füllt. Von diesen "Pümpkes" haben Müllers zwei Stück." (page 50: "a handpump, that fills the glass from the barrel. Müllers have two of these "Pümpkes".") It further states that Alt was lagered for 8 or 9 months to get the right "wine-like" lactic acid character. Münster Altbier is a blond, lightly-hopped, top-fermenting beer. Long lagering adds the signature lactic acid tang. Today, Pinkus Müller, the only brewery left in Münster, are the last to make this style. At least until American micros start running out of obscure beers to recreate. (For the real purists, I have Keut recipe from 1600.) |
| Source: "Pinkus Müller Der Singende Bierbrauer in Münster" by Walter Worland, 1966. |
 Take
a copywith youYou can purchase a printed copy or pdf file of this guide (which includes pub guides to other towns in the vicinity) here: Trips! (West) |