Bamberg’s Michaelsberg is a real piece of city history: on the hill enthroned above the city is the magnificent St. Michael’s Church with a monastery complex and a rich history. Countless fruit trees still grow in the surrounding gardens and the former wine and hop cultivation has recently been revived. Traditionally, beer and wine were made from the fruits of the Michaelsberg by the monks of the monastery. Today, real Bambergers are continuing this tradition: the venerable Schlenkerla brewery has started a project together with the Stiftsgarten organization.
In 2009, the Bürgerspitalstiftung Bamberg helped the monastery garden to have a renaissance. The monastery’s historic vineyard was replanted and hop cultivation was resumed. Products made from the grapes and fruits of the Michaelsberg have been manufactured and sold under the Bamberger Stiftsgarten brand for a number of years. Now there is also a beer from the monastery garden in cooperation with the Heller-Bräu. The drink of the same name is brewed according to an old recipe from the former Michaelsberg brewery. The hops for this come from both Spalt and the Bamberg hop garden. Hops used to be grown on the sunny slopes of the cathedral city, but today committed Bambergers are reviving this tradition.
The Stiftsgarten beer is a full-bodied, unfiltered drink with an alcohol content of 5.7% and a tasty, pleasantly bitter character.
Brauerei SchlenkerlaWater, barley malt, hops, yeast
