Description

A Franconian monastery brewery through the centuries It was only a small step for the Weißenoher monastery brothers at the end of the 11th century from the Benedictine monastery to the monastery brewery. After all, brewing beer was an integral part of monastic life, and not only during Lent did the popular barley juice count as a basic nourishment for the population. So we assume that the beginning of beer brewing in Weißenohe can be equated with the foundation of the Benedictine monastery around 1050. This makes our monastery brewery one of the oldest in Germany and is listed in numerous publications as the oldest brewery in Franconia. It was by no means always Christian behind the monastery walls. In 1801, Pastor Schrettinger wrote in his diary: "On January 6, a few Franconian soldiers who were quartered in were given a beating of the sticks because they had blown open a door and penetrated the master brewer with bare sabers, because he did not always" freshen them up "(measure of beer ) from the cellar. ”In the course of previous centuries, the monastery and the associated properties were destroyed, rebuilt and exchanged several times between the bishops and princes. In the secularization, in 1803, the entire building complex was sold to private individuals. Most recently, the monastery building went to a businessman from Nuremberg, while the monastery church still serves as a parish church today. The former monastic master brewer initially continued the brewery. Until he finally gave up for economic reasons and sold his brewing rights and brewery to the master brewer Friedrich Kraus in 1827. From then on he led the “Franconian Trinity” from brewery, restaurant and agriculture - with growing success. The brewery has been in our family since then. Today, the fifth generation of the brewery is run by Urban Winkler and his wife, actively supported by 13 employees. Bottlenecks in supply forced us to stop catering in 1943. In the meantime, a new generation grew up and in the spring of 2000 the time had finally come: Franz Winkler opened the traditional brewery restaurant with garden operation in new freshness.