Augsburg again

Yesterday: Augsburg

(The WLAN here at the hotel is finally working, but it's mind-numbingly slow. Most of my connect-time has been used up typing beer notes and uploading pictures. The blog will follow as conditions allow.)

Knopf & Knopf Erlebnishotel in Warthausen in the rain

I got an early start today, and I paid the extra money for the faster trains. I should have an hour at Augsburg Hauptbahnhof where I can connect to the Internet.

The Öchslebahn is a narrow-gauge steam-powered "museum train" that runs from Warthausen to Ochsenhausen during the summer.

Paid nine bucks for an hour of connectivity. Dropped the connection after ten minutes, and couldn't reconnect. Bastards. Had a 1516 Weihnachtsbier in the meantime. Augsburg's "Brauhaus 1516" appears to be an actual brewery in the Hauptbahnhof, but it isn't; they're affiliated with 1516 WestParkBräu in Ingolstadt.

1516 WestParkBräu Weihnachtsbier

Thorbräu Augsburg is one of the city's oldest breweries, since 1582. They note on their menu that there were at one time 97 breweries in Augsburg. The beer wasn't bad, and the Braumeisterpfännle was very filling.

Thorbräu Augsburg

Thorbräu Celtic Bio-Bier

Thorbräu Maximilian's Schwarzbier Unfiltriert

Thorbräu Maximilian's Kellerweisse Unfiltriert

Thorbräu Maximilian's Spezialbier

Thorbräu Portator

The nearby old city gate features a sundial, which was pretty much useless this day.

My brewery list includes Wieser Brauerei at Senkelbachstraße 29a. Consulting my map while walking through the neighborhood, an old gentleman noticed my confusion; he lives in one of the apartment blocks on the street, and he pointed out that if there was a brewery there, he wouldn't have to carry this half-liter bottle of beer in his coat pocket. So my brewery list won't include Wieser Brauerei anymore.

Stick & puck at Curt-Frenzel-Stadion, Augsburg

On my way to Charly-Bräu, a streetcar stopped at the intersection where I was standing. I asked the driver if he went to Oberhausen Bahnhof, and he said yes, and he sold me a ticket for €1.20. The streetcar went all the way to the end of the line at Augsburg-Nord, turned around, and went back to the stop where I got on in the first place. Turns out that line doesn't actually go to Oberhausen Bahnhof at all.

Continuing my walk to Charly-Bräu, I ducked into Bayrischer Löwe for a couple of beers from Klosterbrauerei Scheyern and Hasen-Bräu.

Bayrischer Löwe, Augsburg

Schey'rer Export-Dunkel

Hasen-Bräu Extra

Finally arriving at Charly-Bräu, I found that it's an interesting mix of German Gaststätte and American Brewpub. They appear to have some affiliation with Hofbräuhaus Traunstein, although it's not clear what that affiliation is. There are pictures of clowns about the place, and on their logo. The Helles wasn't bad, the Dunkles and Primus were drinkable, and the Weizen was all kinds of nasty.

Charly-Bräu, Augsburg-Oberhausen

Charly-Bräu Primus Weizen-Doppelbock

Charly-Bräu Weizen

Charly-Bräu Dunkles

Charly-Bräu Helles

Tried to get out a bit early, although it wouldn't have mattered since the connection in Ulm was the same. And it turns out the ticket I bought this morning, the one that the machine said would be good on all the trains, cost me an extra €5 on the ICE from Augsburg to Ulm.

Gold Ocshen Pils at Ulm Hbf, and Meckatzer Ur-Weizen at the hotel.

Tomorrow: Günzburg & Leipheim